THE UNI STALKER

Under the cover of darkness Polish-born Leszek Rucki, 35, stalked his victims around the University of Southampton campus.

Some he followed to their homes, one he grabbed. But by far the most serious was the kidnap of a 23-year-old woman who he dragged into bushes. A knife was later found at the scene.

Over a two-week period police investigated 14 reports of young women being followed.

The offences in January this year brought terror to the campus and sparked a major police investigation.

Detectives circulated artists' impressions of the attacker, security was stepped up at the university and undercover police patrols were mobilised in the area.

Truck driver Rucki was eventually caught when officers spotted him acting suspiciously in the area where the attacks took place.

His DNA was matched to samples found on the knife which police had recovered previously.

Yesterday at Southampton Crown Court Rucki was sentenced to almost five years in prison after admitting eight charges, including one of kidnap.

After the case investigating officer Detective Inspector Nigel Oliver said: "There was no doubt that his intentions were sexual and something very serious could have happened had he not been caught. He was a time bomb waiting to go off."

Predator who enjoyed the fear on his victims' faces

HE was a dangerous predator and one who engendered fear in the community he stalked.

For Leszek Rucki, the thrill had been in the stalking of his victims - young, talented students - but that soon turned into something more sinister.

Before long he was not only following young women but reaching out and touching them. Victims told the police how, on some occasions, they saw him smile as he looked at the fear in their faces.

Then the touching turned into something even more dangerous - kidnap.

In the minds of the detectives who caught Rucki, he was a timebomb waiting to explode.

Leading investigating officer Detective Inspector Nigel Oliver said: "It was only a matter of time before his stalking would lead to something more serious."

Those words were echoed in court yesterday when Rucki was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.

In handing down the term, Judge Christopher Leigh QC, who described Rucki as dangerous, said: "It was clear that the attacks were sexually motivated.

"You said that three of your victims had indicated a willingness to engage in sexual acts with you. That shows how distorted your thinking is.

"You told the probation officer that had you not been interrupted by other people you may have touched the victims intimately, regardless of their struggling and screaming."

The court was told how he stalked areas of the Southampton University campus for two weeks.

On January 16 this year Rucki, who came to England last year from his native Poland, left his home on Honeysuckle Road, Bassett, on his by-now well-rehearsed route along the roads surrounding the campus - but this time carrying a knife.

His prey that night was to be a 23-year-old Chinese student who was walking along Glen Eyre Road near the university.

It was the same road where Rucki had struck the night before, grabbing a 19-year-old girl with both hands in a bear hug, before letting go when she screamed.

On this night, however, the 35-year-old's intentions were more sinister.

As the young student walked past him he reached out and grabbed her from behind and dragged her through brambles towards a cycle shed.

Her screaming and shouting eventually raised the alarm and, as help arrived, Rucki escaped. It was only after he had fled that the student noticed a knife in her hand.

As a result, a major investigation was launched, code-named Operation Deer. Artists' impressions were put together, security stepped up on the campus, and undercover police patrols of the area mobilised.

The publicity generated a number of calls from victims who said they had also been followed.

Meanwhile, a forensic examination of the knife traced it to a male DNA profile.

Just 11 days after the kidnapping Rucki was on the streets again and it would seem that the blizzard conditions that night offered no deterrent to his intentions.

One of his three victims that evening remembers a man watching her and her friends playing in the snow before he got very close to a 19-year-old girl, causing her to run off.

At about 10pm that night a second woman aged 26 was followed. Aware of the publicity she challenged him by asking the time and, although it seemed to put him off, he again followed her until she reached a pub.

Just after midnight Rucki approached a 20-year-old woman. She was trying to park her car outside her home when she was confronted by him peering through her window.

Two more students were to become victims of Rucki as he paced for hours around the alleyways and streets surrounding the campus.

In all, police investigated 14 separate incidents, reported within a one-mile radius. They resulted in eight charges which Rucki admitted, including five of common assault, one of kidnap, one of carrying a bladed article and one of affray.

Det Insp Oliver said: "It was almost as if he was enjoying getting close to them. Women described how he would have a smirk on his face when he stepped out in front of them. He was a very serious offence waiting to happen. He appeared to want to go to the same places again and again."

He was caught on January 30, hours after another report of a stalking. He was arrested after police officers noticed him acting suspiciously in the area.

A DNA swab was taken that matched him to the profile taken from the knife. They were able to establish that the Pole had arrived in Southampton on a visitors visa just before the attacks on the women began.

He had previously been living in London but was offered a house to share with another Pole on Honeysuckle Road.

Despite knowing they have got their man, detectives in Hampshire are keen to ensure that Rucki's details are accessible to authorities in his homeland, where he worked as a truck driver.

Det Insp Oliver said: "This isn't the sort of behaviour that just starts. It is possible he may have committed similar crimes in Poland and we will be sending off his DNA profile to the authorities out there."

Rucki will be deported after his prison term.

"Your continued presence in this country is clearly of detriment to the UK," said Judge Leigh.