Convicted rapist who was allowed to move to Britain from Lithuania... viciously attacked woman in street just a month after arriving
- Gintas Burinskas, 36, spent 10 years in prison in Lithuania for rape
- Attacked another woman in Northampton just weeks after moving to UK
- Sentenced to 10 years for vicious assault in early hours of Boxing Day
- Campaigners speak out and ask why he was allowed to enter Britain
By HUGO GYE PUBLISHED: 14:10 GMT, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 19:05 GMT, 12 April 2013
Jailed: Gintas Burinskas raped a woman in Northampton after moving to the UK from Lithuania
A Lithuanian immigrant who spent a decade in prison for raping a woman was allowed to move to the UK - where he committed another rape just one month later. Gintas Burinskas had been out of jail for three months when he decided to leave Eastern Europe and settle in Northampton. Weeks later, he grabbed a woman on the street, throttled her, beat her around the face and raped her. The victim was hospitalised and has been left traumatised by her ordeal - she says she is scared to go out on the streets again.
Burinskas, 36, has been sentenced to 10 years for the crime - meaning he is likely to serve less than five in total.Campaigners including the local MP have spoken out against the short sentence and asked why the criminal was allowed into Britain in the first place. Burinskas committed his assault in the early hours of Boxing Day last year when he grabbed a 31-year-old woman by the throat and throttled her until she passed out. He dragged her to a copse, and when she woke up with him on top of her he hit her so hard he broke her jaw, then tried to suffocate her while pouring cider over her face.
The woman briefly escaped while Burinskas had his back turned, but he kicked her legs out from under her and stamped on her stomach before raping her for 10 minutes. He fled the scene after the attack, while his victim ran to a hotel covered in blood and was subsequently taken to Northampton General Hospital to be treated for cuts and bruises and a fractured jaw. The Lithuanian pleaded guilty to rape and grievous bodily harm at Northampton Crown Court last month, and was yesterday sentenced to 10 years in prison by a judge.
Anger: After his trial at Northampton Crown Court, pictured, campaigners spoke out against Burinskas
The court heard that the terrifying attack had left the victim requiring counselling for depression. Prosecutor James House said: 'The victim is now very fearful about going out and is particularly fearful if she hears a foreign language being spoken close to her. 'She had tried to get away - but he was too strong. She even grabbed him in the groin to try to get him off.
'She shouted for help - but her calls went unheeded.'
After the case concluded, rape charities and local politicians criticised the sentence and questioned why Burinskas was allowed to enter the UK.He has served a total of 19 years behind bars in Lithuania, including 10 years for rape, three for aggravated burglary, and six for taking drugs in prison.
'I'm not sure how the sentence length of this evil man's second identical crime can be shorter than his first,' said Northampton North MP Michael Ellis, who sits on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.'This was a vicious, horrific and sustained attack with devastating consequences for the helpless victim.
'He is obviously pathologically dangerous and I would urge the prosecution to appeal to the Attorney General to review the length of this sentence.'Local councillor Iftikhar Ahmed Choudary added: 'We desperately need stricter laws regarding these people coming into the country - this guy should never have been given the leeway he had to do this. 'We need much stricter border controls to sort it out. Anyone coming into the UK should give finger print details, and we need to be checking them out as they come in.'
Dawn Thomas, who runs the Northampton branch of Rape Crisis, said: 'The fact a man who was convicted of rape in his own country was allowed to come over to ours so easily and commit the very same crime is something which is of grave concern to us.
'This should not have been allowed to happen.'
