A 39-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years after he raped an 81-year-old woman in her home.

Adrian Udrea, 39, of Blyford Way, Felixstowe, earlier pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to two offences of raping the woman on September 28 and an offence of burglary at her home in Felixstowe during which jewellery was stolen.

Today he was sentenced to 16 years in jail, with a further eight years on license after release.

The court heard that Udrea had two previous convictions for burglary in Romania in 1996 and 1997. For the first offence he served a one year sentence, for the second a three year term.

Speaking after today’s sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court, detective chief inspector Andy Smith from the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team said: “The sentencing today reflects the severity of the crime committed by Udrea. For an elderly lady to be subjected to such a horrific, degrading and vile act in her own home is beyond all comprehension.

“Udrea broke into this elderly lady’s home late at night whilst she was sleeping, he raped her and stole jewellery from her and from her home.

“We cannot praise the victim enough for the bravery and determination she has shown in such terrible circumstances. Her actions in immediately reporting this abhorrent crime and the invaluable assistance she gave the enquiry team helped us to identify and arrest Udrea quickly.

“I am very proud of the work undertaken by both police and partner agency staff in this case. All have been deeply affected by this incident and all were incredibly determined to help this vulnerable victim and bring this dangerous offender to justice.

“The significant evidence gathered by our investigation has contributed to our securing an early guilty plea and thankfully this has saved the victim from going through the added trauma of a trial.

“We will continue to do all we can to try to support the victim recognising that she may never fully recover from what has happened to her.”

A statement from the victim’s family said: “As a family we would like to thank the Suffolk police for their dedication, commitment, hard work and compassion shown during this difficult time. We are extremely grateful for all the support and help we have received from a number of agencies including Social Care Services, the NHS and The Sexual Assault Referral Centre along with the kindness shown to us by the community of Felixstowe and beyond.

“Without everyone’s help and support we would not have coped.

“We are pleased with today’s sentence and just hope that we can come now come to terms with what has happened and have some kind of peace in the future.”