Man jailed for life for sexual assaults on two women making their way home from nights out
A convicted sex offender has been jailed for rape and attempted rape after DNA analysis linked him to another attack.
A 19-year-old woman was walking home from a night out in Warrington town centre in the early hours of 29 July 2023, when she was approached by Mariyan Grudev, 39. She’d heard footsteps behind her and after turning to see Grudev crossed the road. But he followed her, stopped her and asked her name. She gave a false name as her fears about him increased.
As they passed some bushes, Grudev grabbed her from behind, placing his hand around her mouth, and then forced her into the bush.
She fought back and managed to get away. The victim made her way to a nearby superstore and flagged down a driver who stayed with her and a passing taxi driver called the police. Grudev was later caught on CCTV trying to approach other young women in Warrington town centre.
A media appeal by Cheshire Police led them to Grudev. He was arrested the next day on 30 July 2023 and a sample of his DNA was taken. The DNA sample matched one that had been taken from a woman who was raped in Warrington in 2019.
This woman had also been on a night out in Warrington town centre with friends and was walking home in the early hours of 22 December 2019 when she was approached by Mariyan Grudev.
She remembered being asked by Grudev to come back to his house and then recalls being on tarmac in the road.
The next thing she remembered, her mum was there and was taking her home. Grudev was arrested for this rape while in custody for the attempted rape in 2023.
He pleaded guilty to the attempted rape on 7 September 2023 but denied the rape in 2019. However, a jury found him guilty of this offence on 11 July 2024 following a trial at Chester Crown Court.
He was sentenced for both offences on 6 February 2025 at Liverpool Crown Court to life Imprisonment and must serve a minimum term of 14 years before he can be considered for parole, reduced by 555 days for time spent on remand.
The Crown Prosecution Service also successfully applied for restraining orders to be imposed, preventing him from contacting the two women again in any way.
In a statement read to the court, the victim of the attack in 2019, said: “I’d never previously had a panic attack, but I still do, even now. I felt violated and like my right to autonomy was stripped away from me. I’ve since found it difficult to form relationships with people.”
James Ball, a specially trained lawyer in CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit said: “Mariyan Grudev is a dangerous, serial sex offender who targeted woman who were on their own.
“CCTV of his actions following the attempted rape in 2023 show that he was determined to attack a woman and continued to follow young women in Warrington town centre even after the earlier attack had been thwarted.
“He had no concern for the feelings of his victims and has not expressed remorse for what he put these women through.
“In moving statements, they have spoken of the long-lasting impact of what Grudev did to them – their ongoing fear, their struggle to regain the lives they’d had before and to regain their confidence.
“These are so often the aftereffects of sexual offences – they leave the victims feeling deeply violated.
“The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank these two women for their courage and determination to see their attacker brought to justice and to prevent other women suffering at his hands.”