A Romanian national who evaded police for more than a decade after he broke into a pensioner’s house and attempted to rape her has been jailed for 13 years today.

Georghita Plesca, 44, tied up his victim — in her late 60s at the time — with tape and electrical cable before ransacking her home in Baxter Road, Canning Town, and attempting to rape her.

Plesca pleaded guilty to attempted rape and four counts of burglary, all of which were committed in 2001.

His victim died before she saw him brought to justice at the Old Bailey.

Det Serg Michael McInerney, who led the investigation, said: “Plesca evaded detection for a number of years but diligent work at each scene meant that, when the opportunity arose, we were able to comprehensively link him to each offence.

“This conviction demonstrates that no matter how much time has passed since a crime, we will continue to investigate it when the evidence is presented to us.”

The court heard how Plesca, who resides in Bedfordshire, surprised his victim when she was alone in her house and getting ready for bed, having broken into the property some time earlier.

He then jumped on her from behind and tied her up before attempting to rape her and fleeing the house, leaving his victim bound in the bedroom.

She managed to free herself and raise the alarm.

This was the fourth offence Plesca had committed in 2001, having previously burgled homes in Tree Road and Berwick Road, Canning Town, and Rectory Gardens, Northolt.

Police said they recovered and stored forensic evidence from each crime scene, ultimately leading to Plesca’s downfall after he was arrested in relation to a theft matter by Bedfordshire police and his DNA sample matched those at the other crime scenes.

Det Serg McInerney said: “I only hope [the victim’s] family can take some comfort in the fact that he is now behind bars.”