Bournemouth Beach: Man guilty of 'brazen' rape of teen in sea

A man has been found guilty of the "brazen" rape of a 15-year-old girl after he took her out of her depth in the sea and assaulted her.

Gabriel Marinoaica remains in custody after being found guilty of the three charges of sexual assault and the rape of the teenager at Bournemouth Beach in July 2021.

The girl could not swim and was pulled out to sea by the 20-year-old of Darlastan, Walsall, West Midlands.

He will be sentenced on 19 April.

Judge Susan Evans KC said: "It was a brazen thing to have done in broad daylight on the beach."

Ellie Fargin, prosecuting, told Bournemouth Crown Court the victim had been in the water with her friends, on a busy summers day, before the attack took place.

She started playing with a ball with another group in the water.

After her two friends had gone back to the beach, she went to fetch the ball after it had been kicked away and had been picked up by Marinoaica, Ms Fargin said.

After initially refusing to give the ball back he did at the second time of asking.

Ms Fargin said he asked the victim's name and her age, before saying his name was Dabby and he was from Birmingham.

She said: "It was at this point the defendant pulled at [her] arm and pulled her out to sea.

"[She] could no longer touch the bottom, she really was in deep water. [She] told Marinoaica: 'No, get off me,' but he ignored her.

"He was touching her everywhere, she was uncomfortable and wanted to get out but he pulled her out further."

When he asked her if she wanted to have sex she refused, the court heard.

Ms Fargin said Marinoaica then groped and kissed the victim before he raped her for about a minute, until someone approached.

The court heard how the victim had said she could not scream because Marinoaica had his hand over her mouth.

Ms Fargin said: "He took her out of her depth, he made her vulnerable, she couldn't even swim, he might not have known that but he might have known she could not touch the bottom.

"And why did he do that? So he could do what he wanted to do.

"She didn't consent, and we say he knew that - he simply didn't care."

The prosecutor said that the victim later told her family and they informed the police.

Marinoaica was arrested 11 months later and semen found in the complainant's bikini matched his DNA, Ms Fargin said.

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