A man followed a teenage girl home and grabbed her yards from the door of her Connah’s Quay home, a court heard.

Ciprian Romascu is alleged to have falsely imprisoned the 17-year-old by taking hold of her around the waist on the driveway of her parents’ house.

Prosecuting barrister David Mainstone told Mold Crown Court the alleged victim was walking home after getting off a bus back from her work in Chester when she noticed a white-hooded man brush past her and turn into a side road.

A short while later, as she walked onto the driveway of her family home, the same man grabbed her around the waist.

“She shouted and he let go and walked away. She was crying hysterically and she went and told her mum who called the police,” said the prosecutor.

Romascu was found riding a mountain bike nearby and arrested.

He admitted putting one hand around the waist of the girl because he was trying to attract her attention so he could ask for directions.

But Mr Mainstone said: “However briefly it was he prevented her from moving away and he only released her quickly because she cried.

“There is no evidence to show what the defendant’s intentions where when he grabbed her in this way. But we say the motives were sinister and he simply wasn’t looking to ask for directions.”

The teenager told the court via a video link that she had been “terrified”.

“I felt someone grab me around the waist with two arms. It was quite hard and I felt the imprint of a hand on my stomach,” she said.

Asked by defence barrister Matthew Dunford if the contact may have been made to draw her attention, she replied: “He made no noise to alert me of his presence.”

Romascu, 37, of Newby Walk, Connah’s Quay denies falsely imprisoning the teenager and holding her against her will on January 21 this year.

Romascu, who heard the evidence in court with the aid of a Romanian interpreter, said that he arrived in the UK in 2016 and found work in Deeside.

He had only spent 15 days at his address in Connah’s Quay before the incident and was not familiar with the area.

After spending the early part of the afternoon drinking beer and spirits at a fellow Romanian’ home, he said he probably felt a “bit dizzy” although not drunk, but got lost on his way home.

Romasca said he just wanted to ask her [the teenager] where Morrison’s store was as it had proved to be a landmark for him to locate his home.

“I had no bad intentions. I was looking for someone to tell me directions. I wasn’t looking for someone to hurt,” he said.

His counsel, Mr Dunford, said: “If he had been a native English speaker we wouldn’t be having this trial. The chances of a misunderstanding would have been much reduced.

“A native English speaker would have been able to say quickly “sorry, I am lost”.

“As soon as she made a noise he let to. If he was up to no good is that what he would have done?”

The case continues