Van driver found guilty of trying to rape woman near M1 services

A van driver has today (Monday 19 October) been found guilty of attempting to rape a woman near services on the M1 earlier this year.

On the evening of 25 April, Tadeusz Podlasinski attacked a woman in Baines Lane – which runs between Leicester’s Hinckley Road and the southbound services at Leicester Forest East – as she walked to catch a bus home.

Ordering her to remove her clothes, he made threats to kill her. However the victim fought back by pushing him in the face, which caused him to get up and make his way back towards the services. She reported the incident to police and provided a detailed description of her attacker.

An investigation led by officers from Signal – the force’s specialist rape and serious sexual assault team – began. As part of it, a lengthy trawl of CCTV footage was undertaken and detectives identified a man matching the description given by the victim. In the footage, he was seen entering the southbound services at 6.15pm and leaving a minute later. He was then seen walking towards Baines Lane and was linked to a red, curtain-sided Iveco van.

Enquiries to locate the van and its owner were undertaken over the next few days, with Detective Inspector Jenny Tattersall – the senior investigating officer – making a direct appeal to the public for information.

On 28 April police found the van parked at the services in a different area to where it was seen on the day of the incident. Officers from the force’s Roads Policing Team (RPT) were deployed and secured it. A short time later, 60-year-old Podlasinski was found returning to his van from the services building.

Today Podlasinski, of Wojska Polskiego in Nowa Wieś Wielka, Poland, was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, one count of attempted assault by penetration and one count of intentional strangulation following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 3 December.

DI Tattersall said: “This incident generated significant public interest at the time as we appealed for help in identifying and locating the person responsible.

“I’d like to place on record my thanks to everyone who came forward with information that led to Podlasinski being arrested and brought to justice today.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim both on the day and for providing evidence to the court.

“The fact he targeted a young woman he didn’t know while she walked home is most definitely predatory behaviour. He saw an opportunity to fulfil his sexual desires and he may well have gone on to do something similar again.

“I hope today’s outcome provides both the victim and wider community with a sense of relief that a dangerous man is now facing time behind bars.”

• There are several different agencies who can offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
• Further information on these services and details on who to contact if you have been a victim of a sexual offence can be found by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences