A hotel handyman has been warned he faces a long jail term after being found guilty of trying to rape a drunken guest in her room.
Nelu Popa climbed through the open window of the 48-year-old victim as she slept in a basement room after downing two bottles of red wine in the bar.
She woke to find him trying to have sex with her and suffered severe bruising to her face after he punched her repeatedly and dragged her back from the window to stop her escaping.
She fought him off and his silver neck chain was found by police on the bedroom floor the next day.
Nelu Popa was working as a maintenance man at the Cairn House Hotel in Ilfracombe when he attacked the guest, leaving tell-tale blood stains on his short and her duvet, pillow and sheets.
Romanian born Popa, aged 37, of St Brannock's Road, Ilfracombe, denied three counts of rape but was found guilty of three alternative charges of attempted rape.
He was remanded in custody by Assistant Judge Advocate General Mr Alan Large who told him:"I need more information about you from the probation service. You must understand you are facing a substantial custodial sentence."
During a week long trial Exeter Crown Court heard from the woman how she went to bed early after drinking in the hotel bar and woke to find Popa sexually assaulting him after he climbed through her open window.
She said she kicked out and tried to fight him off but he punched her in the face and stopped her escaping through the window or door by dragging her back into the room.
Forensic evidence supported her account of a violent sexual attack with traces of blood found on Popa's shirt and the window sill.
Popa told the jury the woman had gone to bed after drinking two bottles of red wine in the bar and he went to the window of her basement room to return her mobile phone which she left upstairs.
He said she pulled him through the open window by his shirt, started kissing and cuddling her and they ended up naked in her bed together.
Popa said he was not sexually aroused and he did not try to have sex with her in any way. He said she then became violent and started hitting him.
He said:"When she pushed me onto the bed we did not have clothes on. She had her legs around me. She was on top of me and then in one moment she started to punch me in the chest and head.
"I pushed her away. I grabbed her and put her on the bed. I climbed on top of her and slapped her two or three times with an open hand.
"I did not punch her. She stopped and we cuddled after which she went to the toilet and I put my clothes on and left the way I came in, through the window. I did not rape her or have sex with her."
He said an injury on his hand was caused while doing maintenance work on a caravan and his silver neck chain must have fallen off when the woman grabbed his shirt and undressed him.
He said he saw her after the incident and she they shared a cigarette. He said she was agitated her facial injuries must have been caused by her falling over.
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