Rapist who attacked teenage university student in Southampton park jailed for 14 years

A man who raped a university student in a park in Southampton has been jailed for 14 years.

Jozef Janczura, 34, carried out the “wicked” attack after “hunting for a lone female”.

Southampton Crown Court heard that his 18-year-old victim had gone for a late night walk alone after socialising with friends at her hall of residence when Janczura attacked her from behind and dragged her into Riverside Park in Southampton.

She was listening to music on her headphones when he grabbed her, the court heard.

He was convicted of the rape and assault causing actual bodily harm against the teenager in the attack, which happened on December 2, 2018.

Janczura was given an extended sentence of 20 years, meaning he will serve 14 years in prison and a further period of six years on licence.

Judge Peter Henry said: “I am satisfied that there is evidence you were hunting for a lone female that night.

“When you finished, you left her in the mud suffering what were described as noticeable injuries.

“It has changed the life of a young woman substantially, she says that she wishes she could go back to her old self badly.

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“You knew what you were doing was wicked and wrong, you said sorry when you finished before leaving her lying in the mud.

“I have no doubt that you do pose a substantial risk of causing serious harm to women.”

Martyn Booth, prosecuting, said: “She was raped, she was brutalised physically and it has had a significant and lasting impact on her.”

“She was walking down that path, she still had her headphones on, she was still listening to music and all of a sudden she was attacked from behind her.

“The man grabbed her from behind, he had an arm around her neck and with the other dragged her off the pathway into the park.

“She struggled, she tried to fight back her attacker but he was able to overpower her and he forced her to the floor.

“She described the man as being on top of her while she was on the floor and the man strangling her to the point she was in and out of consciousness, in that fuzzy state of mind.”

He added: “This was a terrifying incident, one in which she genuinely thought she was going to die.”

Mr Booth said that DNA taken from the victim matched the defendant, who is from Southampton, with the chances of it belonging to someone not related to him being a billion to one.

He added that he was recorded on CCTV following another woman before trailing the teenager prior to the attack.

Mr Booth said Janczura, who has learning difficulties, has previous convictions for “minor matters of dishonesty” in his home country of Poland.