A READING man has been convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration at a trial in Reading Crown Court.
Sagar Gurung, 26 and of Salisbury Road, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict at the hearing on Wednesday, May 10.
It follows an incident in the early hours of Sunday, November 6, last year, during which Gurung approached a woman in Queens Walk, Reading, and attempted to rape her.
During the attack, the victim was also subjected to sexual assault, which took place between 2.30am and 3am.
After he left the area, a large manhunt was launched, and he was subsequently arrested two days later on Tuesday, November 8.
He had seemingly making preparations to leave the country, having booked a flight out of the UK.
While Gurung claimed that he had been “hallucinating” at the time of the attack, he was unable to explain CCTV footage which caught the incident.
He was charged on the following day, Wednesday, November 9, and is now due for sentencing on Tuesday, August 8.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Natasha Black, based at Reading police station, said: “Gurung targeted and attacked his victim, who was on a night out in Reading, completely at random.
“The victim in this case has shown tremendous dignity and courage throughout the course of this investigation.
“She gave evidence in court against Gurung, choosing to do so without the provision of any special measures. This showed immense bravery, and her account has allowed us to bring Gurung to justice swiftly.”
She explained: “Gurung claimed during his trial that he had been hallucinating during the time he attacked the victim, and minimised his actions, denying any sexual offences.
“However, he could not account for what CCTV footage clearly captured, and at no time did he take any responsibility for his actions.”
Gurung has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 8 August.
DC Black added: “This was an exceptional investigation, and our swift work allowed us to apprehend Gurung while he was actively preparing to leave the country.
“He was arrested at his home address, having packed bags and was loading them into a vehicle. He had booked a flight out of the UK for 10 November.”
She explained: “Thankfully, stranger attacks such as this are exceptionally rare, but when they do occur, we will utilise all resources possible to track down, arrest and bring offenders to justice.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to tirelessly pursue offenders who seek to carry out sexual offences.
“I would like to thank the victim in this case for her continued support of this investigation, and I hope that this conviction will allow her to move forward with her life, knowing that we have brought her attacker to justice.”
