Woman targeted and raped by 'double act', jury told

A woman on a night out was kidnapped and raped by two men who went around looking for "drunk women to target", a trial heard.

The victim was attacked in the early hours of Monday, 26 August after leaving a nightclub in Bedford and being offered a lift in a car, the court heard.

Robert Balcan, 22, and Adrian Madarasz, 25, who lived together in Shortstown, near Bedford, were a "double act", prosecuting counsel Laura Blackband told jurors.

The defendants, both of Evans Croft, deny kidnap and rape. Mr Madarasz also denies sexually assaulting the woman.

Miss Blackband said the woman, who cannot be named in media reports for legal reasons, had been out drinking with a friend on the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

She said the woman had been "thrown" from a car after the attack and had knocked on a door for help.

The property the woman had approached was the home of an off-duty Metropolitan Police officer, the crown court jury at Huntingdon Law Courts was told.

He had called police, helped the woman, and been aware of the need to preserve evidence, Ms Blackband added.

Tests had shown the woman had alcohol in her system equivalent to being twice the legal drink-drive limit, the court heard.

"These two defendants are a team - a double act," Ms Blackband said, as she outlined the prosecution case at the start of the trial.

"They go around looking for drunk women to target.

"[The victim] was a female who was unfortunately a target for them."

Mr Balkan had "turned up" in his black BMW and offered the woman and her friend a lift after they left Vogue nightclub, jurors were told.

Ms Blackband said Mr Balkan had been "monitoring" them.

The woman's friend had been dropped off - but the victim was not taken home.

The prosecutor said Mr Balkan had sent Mr Madarasz a message asking if he wanted to have sex.

She said Mr Balkan got a "chilling" reply - a message which said "send it to me".

Ms Blackband said the woman was taken to a house where she was sexually assaulted by Mr Madarasz.

The two men had then got back into the car with the woman - and she had been raped in a layby.

The prosecution said Mr Balkan had raped her while Mr Madarasz held her.

They then "threw" the woman out of the car.

The trial continues.

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