A sexual predator who raped an 18-year-old woman on the roof of an Aberdeen shopping centre and then left her in a flower bed has been jailed for six years.
Daniel Teglas, who is from Romania, had only arrived in the UK a few weeks before carrying out the brutal attack on his vulnerable victim.
As he was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow, the 20-year old was branded “vile” and told the people of Aberdeen would sleep more soundly knowing he was behind bars.
The father-of-two was said to have shown no remorse and smiled at his victim, who was in court, as he was being taken from the dock down to cells.
She shouted at him “Don’t smile at me” as he was led away to begin his sentence.
Teglas – who had been begging on the city’s streets – pounced on the intoxicated girl after finding her alone on the evening of July 26.
She had become separated from friends following a night out in the city’s pubs and clubs.
He dragged her to a secluded spot on the top of the Bon Accord Centre where he raped her and then abandoned her in a flower bed where she was found “distraught and in pain” by members of the public.
Part of the incident was captured by city centre CCTV cameras.
At the High Court, Judge Gordon Liddle told Teglas: “You are a vile predator.
“You came across your victim when she was drunk and in no condition to defend herself from your intention to rape her.
“You should be ashamed. You have shown no empathy for your victim and no remorse beyond feeling sorry for yourself.
“What you have done is a woman’s nightmare. It is unlikely your victim will ever recover from her ordeal.
“It is to be hope she and the other residents of Aberdeen may sleep a little easier knowing that you are off the streets.
“It was a despicable crime you committed.”
Depute advocate Sean Smith QC earlier told the court Teglas had approached the young woman and said to her “You OK?”.
Before she could respond he grabbed her by the arm and picked her up and took her to the top deck of the Bon Accord Centre.
There, he threw her into bushes and raped her.
Mr Smith said: “The victim’s legs could be seen to buckle under her on CCTV footage.
“She later said her legs felt like ‘wet spaghetti’ and would not bear her weight.”
When he lifted her up, she went limp in his arms “like a rag doll,” Mr Smith added.
Teglas, who has a previous conviction for an offence similar to theft by housebreaking from a French court, arrived in the UK with his wife and family in June this year.
Police traced him to an address in George Street, Aberdeen, following the attack.
He was taken to Kittybrewster police station where a forensic medical examiner asked him when he last had sex. He replied: “About 4am with that girl”.
Teglas said he did not know the girl and when asked if he felt any guilt or remorse he answered “yes”.
Defence counsel David Moggach said that night Teglas had been out begging on the streets of Aberdeen.