Romanian man who subjected doctor to 'squalid' 40-minute rape ordeal in alleyway jailed

A "depraved" Romanian man who subjected a doctor to a "demeaning and squalid" 40-minute rape ordeal in a Glasgow city centre alleyway has been jailed for nine years.  Mihai-Nicolae Patran, 34, preyed on the 29-year-old woman while she took a shortcut through Mitchell Street during the early hours of 26 November 2023.

The victim, who did not know her attacker, eventually escaped from the alley doorway and fled naked from the waist down to safety. Patran had previously been arrested for exposing himself to a 19-year-old woman while travelling on a train between Perth and Stirling on 22 October 2023.

And as he was facing the rape charge at Glasgow Sheriff Court after his arrest, he went on to sexually assault a security staff member. Judge Norman McFadyen highlighted how Patran's offending behaviour against the three strangers occurred over a period of five weeks.

He said: "What led you so suddenly to indulge in such a level of frankly depraved or degenerate conduct is hard to imagine. "Your behaviour on each occasion was shocking, but the rape was a highly aggravated crime." The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said prosecutors used a variety of evidence, including CCTV, mobile phone footage, DNA, and witness accounts to build a "compelling case" against Patran.

The judge said the rape victim was subjected to a "demeaning and squalid" attack that lasted 40 minutes and was forced to "relive her ordeal" in court as Patran denied any wrongdoing. Judge McFadyen branded Patran's evidence to police as "wholly dishonest and dismissive".

He added: "You are clearly a dangerous man and, in particular, a real danger to women." Read more from Sky News:Man who 'assaulted boy' at campsite dies in prisonWoman, 34, dies after city centre knife attack Patran was last month found guilty of sexual exposure, rape and sexual assault following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. He was handed a 12-year extended sentence on his return to the dock on Monday, with nine years in custody and three years on licence once released back into the community.

Patran was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely. Judge McFadyen said "it is to be hoped" Patran will be deported back to Romania or removed from the UK "at the earliest opportunity".

The Home Office was contacted for comment. Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, said: "Mihai-Nicolae Patran poses a significant danger to women and is a sexual opportunist who offends in high-risk situations.

"The prosecution identified and drew together multiple strands of evidence, including CCTV footage, which supported the harrowing accounts given by all three victims. "This conviction would not have been possible without these women, and I hope it brings some comfort that Patran has now been held accountable.

"This type of stranger offending, while rare, will not be tolerated and Scotland's prosecutors will continue to fully support those affected as we seek to secure justice.".