Viorel Culiuc was facing sentencing after admitting orally raping a woman in her 20s in Earlham Cemetery eight years ago.

But after being extradited back to Britain following an international hunt, the 39-year-old stunned Norwich Crown Court by attempting to withdraw his plea, repeatedly telling a judge: "I didn't do it."

Earlier this year he entered a guilty plea to the rape, which happened at about 6am on November 4, 2018.

Police at Earlham Cemetery following reports of a rape in 2018 (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Soon after the attack, he fled Norfolk but was eventually extradited back from Romania following an extensive international police investigation to locate him and bring him back to the UK to face charges.

He admitted raping the woman - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - at a hearing in July and was almost certainly facing prison.

He was due to be sentenced on Wednesday, September 16.

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