Stowmarket man Constantin Tulba jailed for sexual assault

Sentencing Constantin Tulba, Judge David Pugh said: “This must have been a terrifying ordeal for this young woman.”

The woman noticed Tulba looking at her as she passed him in the street in the early hours of the morning as she walked home from visiting her family, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He had then walked towards her and grabbed the back of her head before trying to kiss her, said Eleanor Sheerin, prosecuting.

The incident happened in Stowmarket (Image: Suffolk police)

The woman tried to push him away, but this appeared to make him angry and he had placed her in a bear hug before trying to put his hands down the front of her trousers.

As she struggled to get away, she fell to the ground and when she screamed for help Tulba had covered her mouth with his hand.

The attack came to an end when a car approached and Tulba walked away, said Miss Sheerin.

The victim managed to stop the passing car and asked for help.

Tulba had been drinking earlier that night in a nightclub and was caught on CCTV staring at women and making them feel uncomfortable, the court heard.

He was arrested the day after the attack and largely gave “no comment” to questions put to him.

In a statement, the victim’s mother said the attack by Tulba had caused a deterioration in her daughter’s already fragile mental health.

Tulba, of Edgecombe Road, Stowmarket, admitted sexually assaulting the woman on Sunday, June 4 this year.

In addition to being jailed Tulba, who has no previous convictions, was ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Sentencing Tulba, Judge Pugh said that because of the attack the victim not surprisingly no longer felt safe walking alone at night.

Nicholas Bleaney, for Tulba, said his client had been drinking on the night of the offence and had little recollection of the incident.

He said Tulba was remorseful and hadn’t known about the victim’s mental health problems when he attacked her.