Gateshead grooming gang trial: Accused tells jury his DNA on girl’s clothes was there “by mistake”

A man on trial for alleged grooming offences in Gateshead has told a jury that his DNA was found on a 13-year-old girl’s underwear and top because he pleasured himself while others were having sex with her in a park.

Stefan Ciuraru, 22, is one of six men accused of committing sexual offences against six girls, aged between 13 and 16, in Gateshead between 2015 and 2019. He was 16 at the time of the alleged incidents.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that some of the alleged abuse took place behind a hut in Saltwell Park. Ciuraru, giving evidence through a Romanian interpreter, admitted he had “watched” as two males had sex with a girl but claimed he only touched himself nearby and ejaculated “by error”.

“I did not touch her, I did not speak to her,” he told jurors. When asked how he feels about it now, he replied: “Bad, I feel bad.”

Ciuraru admitted lying to police during interview when he said he could not explain how his DNA was present, telling the court he was “scared” at the time.

The prosecution, led by Anne Richardson, put it to him that another girl saw him “in the bushes” with the first victim and later claimed he grabbed her wrist and demanded a sex act. Ciuraru denied this, saying he could not have made such a demand as he “could not speak English”.

However, two of his former teachers previously told the court that he was capable of holding conversations in English after moving to the UK in 2017.

Ciuraru also denied all other offences against five girls, insisting the accusations were “not true”. He told jurors he had not attended school in Romania, did not know how to read or write, and that in Gateshead he copied work from another Romanian pupil before leaving education to work at a car wash.

He is charged with four counts of sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child.

The other defendants on trial are:

Codrin Dura, 27 – denies eight counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child, attempted rape, sexual assault, blackmail, arranging the commission of a child sex offence, and supplying a Class A drug.

Leonard Paun, 23 – denies five counts of rape, sexual activity with a child, two counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence, supplying Class A drugs, sexual assault and distributing indecent photographs of a child.

Ionut Mihai, 28 – denies three counts of rape relating to one girl.

Bogdan Gugiuman, 44 – denies four counts of rape and one count of supplying a Class A drug.

Klaudio Aleksiu, 28 – denies two counts of rape and supplying a Class A drug.


The defendants, all from Gateshead, claim they met in the park only to play football.

The trial continues.