Copyright dailyrecord
A grooming gang who sexually exploited 10 vulnerable women were jailed today for a total of 68 years. Mircea Cumpanasoiu, 37, Christian Urlateanu, 41, Alexandra Bugonea, 35, Remus Stan, 35, and Cataline Dobre, 45, were convicted following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow today. Their victims included a woman who was trafficked into prostitution - and then threatened to be banished up a tree because she was not earning enough. Another was effectively gang-raped by three of the predators. The Romanian-born gang - based at flats in Dundee - left a number of those they preyed upon hooked on crack cocaine leading them to be blackmailed into sex. Ringleader Cumpanasoiu – known as Mario - was guilty of 15 charges, Urlateanu nine, his then partner Bugonea five, Stan eight and Dobre – known as Luigi - also five. The crimes occurred in 2021 and 2022. Campanasoiu was caged for 20 years and will be under supervision for four years upon his release from prison. Urlateanu received 18 years imprisonment with a two-year supervision period. Bugonea was jailed for eight years, Stan got 12 years and Dobre received 10 years. Non-harassment orders were granted which prohibit the group from contacting their victims for an indefinite period. They were also put on the sex offenders register. Stan was separately given a five-year trafficking exploitation order. Judge Lord Young stated that a number of the group "deflected and minimised" their offending. He said: "Over a 15-month period each of you participated in the serious sexual abuse and exploitation of vulnerable and mostly young women in the Dundee area. "There were various reasons for their vulnerability including difficult family circumstances and use of drugs. "By offering them an unending supply of mostly free crack cocaine you exacerbated their vulnerabilities and proceeded to exploit them for your own sexual gratification and in some cases for financial gain. "No doubt you assumed rightly for some time that the drug related lifestyles of the women meant that you were not reported or detected. "To an extent, that attitude and delusions of impunity persisted in the background reports before me with continuing efforts to use the vulnerability of the women to try to attack their credibility. These attitudes do you no good at this stage and aggravate matters. "It maybe you thought that no one cared for your victims meaning you could do whatever you wanted to them without consequence. If so, events have proved you wrong. "Each of the women found the strength to give evidence despite their difficulties and have taken steps to move on from that stage in their lives. "I commend them for having taken back control of their lives to the extent that they were able to do that and testify about the abuse they suffered at your hands. "It’s clear the jury understandably and overwhelmingly accepted the vast majority of their evidence and rejected your unconvincing denials and claims. "In contrast to your evidence, the women were careful, credible and convincing. Your victims are now survivors albeit they are permanently damaged by what you did to them. "There is no suitable alternative to custody due to gravity of the crimes which involve a catalogue of serious sexual exploitative and abusive conduct upon vulnerable women." Jurors previously heard harrowing testimony about how the gang preyed on the women – most already troubled by personal issues. Some had even considered members of the group to be their friends. Victims would be plied with whisky and crack cocaine as well as being made to take part in sleazy “sex games”. There were said to be that many young women “passing through” the gang struggled to remember who they all were. Cumpanasoiu was called a "winking, smirking pimp". He was described as behaving towards women in a “predatory nature”. Among the charges both he and Stan were convicted of was one under the Human Trafficking Act by forcing a woman into prostitution. Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie KC said someone could be offended against in this way even if they do not “cross international borders”. This victim was said to have been sold a "pipe dream" of how she could make "lots of money" from selling her body. But, Cumpanasoiu was said to raging at one stage at her not earning enough. A video was found on his phone recording the victim climbing a tree. Cumpanasoiu was said to have threatened: "Because you do not make money, you stay all day in the tree." He and Stan also raped the woman. Cumpanasoiu was described by one victim as "absolutely relentless" and another was left feeling "disgusted" by him. Cumpanasoiu claimed he only gave another of the young women crack cocaine to be "polite". The 15 charges Cumpanasoiu was guilty also included the rape of seven of the women, brothel keeping and crack cocaine dealing. Urlateanu also meantime denied sexually exploiting any of the victims. He insisted one of the young women could not have been raped as she was only in his flat for a matter of minutes. But, this victim – in her late teens at the time – said she was, instead, there for days including taking part in sex games like 'spin the bottle'. She also described seeing Urlateanu's then partner Bugonea semi-naked. Bugonea was a prostitute who advertised online at the time for paying punters. The pair teamed up to rape of the victims. But, Urlateanu told the trial: “I never, ever touched her.” Urlateanu – who claimed to work as fast for delivery driver - further denied holding another victim “hostage”. There was also grim testimony of how Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre gang-raped one woman. She was preyed upon having gone to a “party” at a flat in Dundee. This victim recalled being given a substance which made her feel “rotten” before being attacked by the trio. His KC Gillian Ross put to him: "How do you feel about these allegations being made?" Urlateanu: "Very scared and very much afraid of all of this." He was convicted of nine charges including the rape of four women and illegal sexual activity with another. In her evidence, Bugonea admitted having “sex parties” at her flat describing them as a “fun atmosphere”. Quizzed about sexually assaulting any of the victims, Bugonea said: "I am a woman - why would I have a plan to rape her?" She also denied women only visited due to their drug issues claiming she believed they were "friends". Bugoena: "Even now, I cannot believe that they would put me in this position." She branded other evidence heard in the trial as "ridiculous". The crimes she was convicted included being part of the rape of one woman and illegal sexual activity with another. Stan denied being known as “boss” and exploiting a woman for prostitution. He said: “She was not some you could tell what to do.” As well as the human trafficking, Stan was convicted of the rape of three of the women, drug dealing as well as living of the immoral earnings. Dobre was guilty of the rape and abuse of four victims. In her speech, Miss Gillespie said it clear the women had issues in their lives. She stated: "Perfect people living perfect lives do not normally end up as witnesses at the high court. "They were vulnerable women that the group took advantage of. "Women who became drawn deeper into addiction due to their association with them." After the verdicts, it emerged Urlateanu, Bugonea and Dobre had gone AWOL while awaiting trial. The first two were eventually traced in Belgium before being extradited back to Scotland in 2024. Dobre was found in the Czech Republic. He had initially challenged being hauled back to the UK. Jim Keegan, defending Cumpanasoiu, told the sentencing that his client "did not consider" the legalities of his behaviour due to his drug use. Mr Kegan added: "He lost his right to remain in the UK in January this year." Angela Gray KC, defending Urlateanu, stated: "My client is isolated from his family and community which will render any prison sentence particularly harsh." Mark Stewart KC, defending Bugonea, told the court: "She has rid herself of drugs and the lifestyle that put her in this situation before the court." He earlier told the sentencing that his client was apprehended in Belgium in January 2024 while she was "unaware" of an arrest warrant for her. Graeme Brown, defending Stan stated that his client continues to profess his innocence. Brian Gilfedder, defending Dobre, told the sentencing that his client offended after his partner and child left Scotland for Romania which led him to crack cocaine use.
