A man has been convicted of rape after committing a serious sexual attack on a lone woman in Lewisham. 

At Woolwich Crown Court, on Monday, 3 August, Danut Bulboana, 21 (01.07.99), of no fixed abode, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempting to choke.

He will be sentenced on Tuesday, 8 September at Woolwich Crown Court.

The court heard that on 27 August 2019 at approximately 23:30hrs, the victim – a woman in her late 20s – was targeted by Bulboana and subjected to a serious sexual assault in a wooded area near Catford Bridge Railway Station.

The victim had been making her way home after a night out with a friend but became lost after she was dropped at the wrong destination by a taxi. The victim recalled suddenly finding herself in an unfamiliar wooded area with an unknown male – later identified as Bulboana.

The sexual attack then took place. She tried to scream but Bulboana stifled her cries by forcing something into her mouth, choking her.

The woman eventually managed to get away from Bulboana and call 999.

Police attended and spoke to the victim who then assisted the officers in trying to locate the where the offence took place. In doing so, they were able to trace Bulboana’s location and, despite altering his appearance by changing his clothing, the woman was able to provide a positive identification and Bulboana was arrested.

Officers from the Met’s South East Safeguarding Team launched an immediate investigation and were able to charge Bulboana on 25 October 2019, after forensic examinations linked him to the crime.