Burglar Who Raped Married Woman Caged

A burglar who broke into a shared house one morning and raped the 31 year-old female resident who bandaged his injured hand has been caged for life – with a seven-year minimum.

Andrei Makara, 40, of no fixed address, used his shoulder to force open the front door of the Brent property on July 24 as the terrified married woman tried to stop him.

He pleased guilty at Harrow Crown Court to two counts of rape; one count of assault by penetration and one count of robbery.

The victim was in her bathroom when she heard a loud bang downstairs and realised someone was trying to get into the property.

She managed to lock the front door, but Makara used brute force to gain access, injuring his hand.

The victim, fearful for her safety, bandaged Makara’s hand and also offered him her bank card.

Makara then became aggressive and threatened the victim with a pair of scissors before raping her.

Afterwards, Makara demanded the victim hand over her bank card and PIN, threatening to kill her if the PIN was wrong.

He then stole a bicycle belonging to the victim’s husband and left the address.

The victim reported the robbery to police the same day and two days later further reported she had been raped during the incident.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command (CASO) immediately launched an investigation.

Detective Constable Alan Wong, from CASO, said: “I hope today’s sentence gives the victim some measure of comfort and closure.

“I would like to commend her for her bravery and having the courage to report the incident to the police.

“Her evidence was vital in ensuring a dangerous individual has been put behind bars.”