TWO friends who held down a woman and took it in turns to rape her in her own home have been jailed for a combined 20 years.

Claudiu Ivascu, of Sycamore Road, and Nicolae Mihai, 22, of Albert Street, both Colchester, were convicted of rape by a jury in January.

During the six day trial, the jury heard how Ivascu, 23, had arranged to go to the victim’s home after finishing his shift as a delivery driver.

He arrived with Mihai, whom the victim had not met.

When inside, Ivascu claimed it was his birthday and made sexual demands including asking her to have sex with his friend as well as him.

Both men had been drinking, and when the victim refused Ivascu offered her cash to take part.

She again refused and he grabbed hold of her arms and held her whilst Mihai raped her.

Ivascu then got undressed and raped the woman himself.

Children were inside the property whilst the horrific attack took place.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd told Chelmsford Crown Court the victim had suffered “severe psychological harm” from the incident.

However the brave woman faced her attackers and read out her victim statement at the sentencing hearing today.

She said: “What happened on April 14, 2017, changed every area of my life.

“I have been punished in every way possible and have never felt so low in my life.

She added: “I feel no sentence can change what happened to me or give me back what these two men took away from me.”

Revinder Saimbhi, mitigating for Ivascu, said he was struggling with prison due to health problems.

Elroy Claxton, mitigating on behalf of Mihai, said his client was remorseful for what had happened and acknowledge he was being punished for “his own recklessness”.

Judge Christopher Morgan sentenced Ivascu to 12 years in prison for each of his two rape charges to run concurrently.

Mihai was jailed for eight years for one charge of rape.

Investigating officer DC Liv Howells, of Essex Police’s Adult Sexual Abuse Investigations Team, said: “Today, two sexual predators have been sent to prison after raping a woman in her own home.

“She was attacked in a place she considered safe by a person who she knew and his friend. Our communities can only be a safer place with both removed from our streets.

“I would like to continue to praise the victim for her courage not only coming forward and reporting the offence but assisting us throughout the entire case. 

"She bravely attended sentencing today and read her victim impact statement in court.

“I would urge anyone who has experienced a rape or a similar scenario, to come forward and report it to our officers on 101. We have specialist officers who will give you the support you need as we investigate the offences."