Aurel Birlan has been jailed for life after raping an unconscious woman in a public street in Chatham, Kent. The case highlights the seriousness of the prolonged assault and the importance of a passer-by’s intervention, which stopped it and led to his arrest.

The 44-year-old repeatedly assaulted the woman for almost two hours in December 2021, with CCTV showing she was unconscious for more than an hour. He admitted two counts of rape and three sexual assaults, and must serve at least eight years and three months before parole can be considered; he was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.