Romanian who raped a woman so he could 'live in luxury' in a British jail gets his wish

A Romanian career criminal who raped a young woman so he could be sent to a 'luxurious' British prison and get free lodgings and English lessons had his wish granted yesterday.

Ali Majlat, who was allowed into this country despite having spent more than half his life in prison, cornered a 21-year- old at a deserted train station and attacked her in a subway.

He had been released from prison in Oxfordshire only two days earlier, travelling to Yorkshire in an unsuccessful attempt to visit his brother Dominic, who was already in jail for rape.

Majlat, 35, had been inspired to carry out his crime after hearing from Dominic about the 'easy and comfortable conditions' in British jails, and yesterday he was ordered to serve an indeterminate sentence at one.

But in a blow to his hopes of enjoying open-ended British hospitality at taxpayers' expense, a judge ordered his deportation back to Romania on his eventual release.

'This was a woman who was deliberately raped so that he could get accommodation in prison,' said Judge Alistair McCallum at Leeds Crown Court.

'It doesn't get much worse than that.'

Branding him 'absolutely worthless to our community', the judge said Majlat could be considered for parole in four-and-a-half years' time but is likely to be imprisoned at huge expense to the taxpayer for many years longer.

Today the Daily Mail can reveal the shocking truth about Majlat's past, raising new questions about the ease with which foreign criminals can enter this country, as well as why he was not deported after his first jail term.

Majlat grew up in one of his home country's notorious Communist-era state orphanages because his illiterate parents could not afford to feed him.

After leaving the institution at the age of 16 he was soon caught stealing, and ended up spending 19 years in Romanian prisons with a total of 11 convictions for theft and burglary.

Last August, with his 45-year-old brother serving a life sentence here for rape and attempted murder, he travelled to Britain to visit him.

Before he had the chance to do so, he was convicted in connection with a burglary in London and jailed for eight weeks.

Despite his record, he was not deported on his release on October 10 because he was not deemed to be 'high risk'.

Instead he travelled to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, two days later to visit his brother, but was turned away because he did not have the right paperwork.

Majlat went straight to Wakefield Kirkgate station where he spotted the young woman, a soldier's girlfriend, on a deserted platform.

After pestering her, saying 'You should love me' in broken English, he began punching
and kicking her. She fled down an underpass, but Majlat caught up with, pinned her to the ground, half-strangled her and raped her.

She later told police the thought that flashed through her mind: 'That's it, I'm 21 and I'm dead.'


However, Majlat released her after taking her mobile phone and money. He travelled to London where he was caught after using the mobile.

He later told a psychologist: 'When I was on the railway station I thought I should rape this lady in order to get a place to eat and sleep and learn the English language.'

Judge McCallum had earlier demanded details of Majlat's criminal record in Romania, asking how he had been allowed into Britain in the first place.

Yesterday officials who had dealt with Majlat in Romania revealed that if they had been asked, they would have classified him ' high risk' and capable of rape.

They were not surprised that he committed crime just to get into a British jail, saying he was completely institutionalised after spending his life in a grim orphanage followed by prison.

'He always felt better in prison, it was the only support system he ever received,' said the chief psychologist at Bircea Mare Prison, where Majlat served most of his time.

The official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said many inmates felt the same way.

'Many of them talk of going to England because they hear stories of how much better it is than here, like hotels for them.

In Majlat's hometown of Petrila, head of social services Susana Heljiu said: 'He was one of five children placed into an orphanage by his mother. It was easier for her to hand them over to the state than provide food and a home herself.'

An acquaintance said: 'His attitude was simple - if he got away with the crime, he benefited. If he got caught, he would go to prison, and that's what he really wanted.'

Yesterday his barrister, Mark McKone, confirmed this had been his motivation but said that he had changed his mind since being beaten up while on remand.

'The last thing he would want Your Honour to think is that he would like to be given as long as possible,' said Mr McKone.

Majlat appeared to smirk in the dock due to what his lawyer said was a medical condition.

His victim has been left seriously traumatised by her ordeal, has difficulty sleeping and is afraid of men and isolated locations.

As with other EU citizens, Romanian nationals need only a passport to enter Britain, so immigration staff may not be given details of any convictions in their home countries. continues here

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