September 2022 Sexual predator who targeted two women and a girl in violent, opportunistic attacks A sexual predator who targeted two women and a girl in violent, opportunistic attacks has been jailed for life. Romanian Constantin Covaliu preyed on his victims, who were all previously unknown to him, over the space of four months last year in Nottingham and Mansfield. After a determined and detailed investigation by Public Protection detectives and their uniformed colleagues, the 22-year-old has now been brought to justice and received a life sentence at Northampton Crown Court. Covaliu, of Broxtowe Drive, Mansfield, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault on the day his trial was due to begin. Covaliu attacked his first victim, a 53-year-old woman, after he attended a house party in the building in which she lives. He had entered her flat twice earlier in the evening and was told by the victim to get out. On the third occasion, at around 2.30am on 24 July 2021, he again went into the flat and this time attempted to rape the victim. She was eventually able to fight him off and called for help after locking herself in the property’s communal bathroom. The second attack took place when a 17-year-old girl was lured to an address in Mansfield while on a night out on 31 October 2021. He befriended the teenager, who was alone after her friend had gone home, and took her to the property. After snatching the woman’s mobile phone from her, Covaliu raped the girl in an upstairs bedroom. In the third attack, Covaliu grabbed a 21-year-old woman from behind as she walked home alone in Church Lane, Mansfield, on 20 November 2021. He attempted to rape the woman but stopped and ran from the scene when she tried to get help from a passing taxi driver.