Sentencing date set for Slovakian attacker
The first image of a Slovakian man, who admitted raping and violently attacking a woman in Beeston earlier this year, has been released.
It was ruled last week that 21-year-old Zdenko Turtak, from Kosice, will not face charges of attempted murder allowing his mugshot to be released by West Yorkshire Police.
The charge was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, following an earlier not guilty plea by Turtak in his September trial.
During that same court appearance, he did however plead guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and rape, and will now be sentenced on Monday 19th October.
Following the assault on the 18-year-old in Beeston on 6th March this year, a huge police operation was put into place to trace Turtak.
The victim had been attacked as she waited at a bus stop in Beeston Road, near to the junction with Tempest Road.
She was dragged into a nearby garden where she was struck over the head numerous times with a large stone before being seriously sexually assaulted.
Unidentified at the time, only CCTV images and a police e-fit were available of Turtak as officers appealed for information as to the identity of the assailant.
A reconstruction of the crime was featured on BBC’s Crimewatch and he was eventually traced to Slovakia.
He was arrested by Slovakian authorities and extradited to the UK in July with help from the National Crime Agency and the West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team.
