A man who stalked a woman in the dead of night, refused to leave, then raped her in a brutal, hours-long assault has been locked up for seven years.
The stalker waits until 2.30am to strike
Saurabh Talwar, 39, worked at an Indian restaurant near Norwich but became obsessed with a woman who had clearly told him she wasn’t interested. Despite the rejection, Talwar turned up uninvited at her home at around 2.30am on August 14, 2022, claiming he was “lonely.”
The victim let him in, expecting him to leave soon, but Talwar ignored every plea to go. The terrified woman, initially in her pyjamas, felt she had no way out as he stayed hours, growing more aggressive.
Hours of abuse in the victim’s own home
Talwar briefly left to buy drinks, then returned, by which time the woman dressed to cover herself up. He forced himself on her, kissing her without consent and becoming ‘rather more rough’.
The court heard he attempted rape after touching her inappropriately. Ignoring her cries for help, Talwar continued the attack for hours. After the victim fell asleep, he got into her bed and raped her.
Victim left shattered and terrified
“I was confident and outgoing before, but now I will never be the same person,” the victim said in an impact statement. “I blamed myself, hid what happened, and was scared the police would blame me.” She suffers panic attacks, flashbacks, and now refuses to answer the door unless expecting someone.
The trauma forced her to quit her job and move away from Norwich altogether. She’s been left struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Harsh justice and deportation looming
Talwar denied rape but was found guilty of rape, attempted rape, and assault by penetration after an eight-day trial at Norwich Crown Court.
Judge Andrew Shaw condemned the “predatory attack” that caused the victim severe psychological and physical harm. Talwar, an Indian national living in the UK since 2007 and awaiting a decision on his residency status, will automatically face deportation after serving his sentence.
