A predator admitted he prowled a town centre on a bicycle looking for drunk women to attack because they “were easier to get”. Serial criminal Ionut-Daniel Govoreanu circled licensed premises.
These chilling images show how he cruised around the streets identifying vulnerable targets. The 29-year-old car wash worker went on to commit offences against two young women over a three-week period.
Both had become separated from their friends. Govoreanu, who has convictions in Italy, was arrested within days of the alert after detectives traced him to a local address. The Romanian was jailed for three years and six months at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court earlier this month.
He will also be supervised for two years after he is released and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years. Govoreanu may also face deportation after he pled guilty to sexual breach of the peace against one woman and sexual assault with intent to ravish against a second victim.
He told social workers he went after women who had been drinking because they “were easier to get”. He also falsely claimed his victims were sex workers and complained that women in his homeland wouldn’t have reported his conduct to police.
Social workers expressed concern about his attitude towards the victims and said there was a risk he would re-offend. One source said: “Govoreanu doesn’t think he should be sent to jail.”
Govoreanu’s first victim, described as “blackout drunk” and “swaying all over the place”, was saved when a group of girls became suspicious of him trying to “guide” her to go with him.
Footage showed him approach the woman who then “batted him off”, court documents revealed. He then followed her and made another attempt to get her to go in his direction on July 3, 2021.
She approached a crowd of strangers for protection after rejecting Govoreanu a second time. However, he continued to stalk her for almost an hour and only gave up when she was reunited with a pal.
The second victim had her underwear ripped off in a sexual assault after she left a pub to get a taxi home weeks later, the court heard. Her ordeal only ended when a man shouted after he saw her struggling to escape Govoreanu’s grip.
The witness told police he initially thought the pair were involved in a “lovers’ tiff”. He asked if “everything was okay”. Govoreanu fled on his mountain bike.
Kilmarnock MP Alan Brown condemned Govoreanu. He said: “This terrible ordeal is a stark reminder that more must be done to tackle misogyny. Men with attitudes like this cannot, and will not, be tolerated in a progressive, forward-thinking country.
“My thoughts are with all victims who suffered from this ordeal and I’m glad to see justice has prevailed.”
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