A man who went on the run in Romania for seven months after sexually assaulting two teenage girls in a Dundee nightclub has been jailed.
Married Marius Ropota attacked the teenagers in January last year at Liquid nightclub.
He denied the charges and was due to go on trial on December 8 last year but after a warrant for his arrest was granted, police discovered he had left the country the previous night.
He was eventually traced in Romania on July 8 and extradited back to Scotland.
When he has served his sentence it is expected Ropota will be deported to his home country.
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court the teenagers are friends and neither one of them knows Ropota, who formerly lived at Mossgiel Crescent in the Linlathen area of Dundee.
The fiscal said: “The complainers left the dance floor to go to the smoking area. As they walked up a set of stairs the first complainer heard someone running up the stairs behind her and just as she turned to see who it was, the accused reached and touched her. He also attempted to pull her clothing.”
The court heard that the teenager immediately pulled back and Ropota said: “Why not?” then attempted to kiss her.
His victim pushed him back and Ropota made a one-fingered hand gesture at her. Ropota then turned and sexually assaulted the teenager’s friend.
The fiscal told the court that Ropota touched the girl’s clothing and “she let out a scream”.
Ms Bell added: “Again the accused made the same one-finger hand gesture to this complainer then headed back down the stairs.”
Ropota, 34, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to charges under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act after police gained CCTV footage from the club
Defence solicitor George Donnelly said: “They went to Romania because his wife was pregnant and there were complications. He has never been in trouble before, either here or in Romania. The girls should never have been subjected to what he did.
“He has great difficulty identifying himself with the man on the CCTV as he has never behaved in that way before.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC jailed Ropota for 11 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
She said: “It costs a lot of money and resources to get someone back to Scotland from Romania. I consider you to be a flight risk. These are serious sexual offences and the nature of these offences means a community based disposal is not appropriate.”
