Man placed on sex offenders register after squirting hand soap at women in Newcastle

1 July 2019, 15:11 | Updated: 1 July 2019, 15:13

A man who cycled around Newcastle squirting young women with hand soap has been made to sign the sex offenders register.

Marius Trifan, who's originally from Romania, admitted targeting 11 women in February for sexual gratification.

A court heard how the 29-year-old had stuffed a rucksack full of syringes filled with what was actually white hand wash.

He would then cycle around the city centre and squeeze the liquid on to women, most of whom were university students.

It left some terrified they had been targeted with acid.

In total the sexual predator targeted 11 women in just one week with nine of the offences taking place on the same day.

Trifan, of Dilston Road, Fenham, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday (June 28th) where he was told he would have to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

However, as he had already spent four months behind bars he was not given a custodial sentence by the judge.

Instead he was handed a 12-month community order and a restraining order that banned him from carrying syringes in public.

Following the case, the officer in charge of policing in Newcastle city centre said his victims were made to feel "violated".

Inspector Louise Jenkins said: "This is one of the more bizarre cases we have dealt with but it has had a massive impact on these young women.

"It must have been really scary for them to find this strange liquid on their clothing and they would obviously be thinking the worst in that moment.

"This offending has made them feel violated and traumatised because they have been targeted for this man's sexual gratification.

"Nobody should be scared to walk through our city centre and we were determined to identify this offender and put him before the courts.

"He has spent time behind bars and will now be made to sign the sex offenders' register for five years.

"A restraining order can also help bring further comfort to those young women targeted by this sexual predator."