WOMEN who claim they were sexually assaulted by a convicted rapist could be heard sobbing hysterically in distressing 999 calls played to a jury.

Saulius Zilinskas, 41, of Great Oxcroft, Laindon, is accused of carrying out two attempted rapes and a sexual assault in Laindon on February 21, 2015.

The Lithuanian is also accused of raping a woman in East London on January 14, 2005.

Basildon Crown Court yesterday heard the harrowing recordings of 999 calls made by three of the alleged victims.

The cousin of a 23-year-old woman, who was assaulted on her return from a Co-op store on February 21, 2015, told the police: “She was stopped by a man who was drunk, he wouldn’t let her come back. He grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the stomach. He said: ‘You’re not going anywhere,’ and punched her.”

She passed the phone to the victim, who said: “I think I’m ok but my stomach really hurts” before agreeing to see paramedics.

The court also heard the call by the youngest victim, who was 16-years-old and reported being attacked at a bus stop 20 minutes later, as well as from the 35-year-old woman who claimed she was raped in 2005.

Both calls were almost unintelligible due to the women sobbing hysterically. Members of the jury appeared visibly distressed as the tape was played.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson also read a witness statement from the mother of the 23-yearold victim. He said: “She told me she tried to avoid him but he stepped in front of her.

“He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards him. I noticed she had chunks of her hair missing and her scalp was red.”

Mr Jackson also played chilling CCTV footage showing the victim walking from the shop with a man following her.

Zilinskas is also accused of sexually assaulting a 27-year-old woman in the Co-op the same day.

The jury was told how Zilinskas was previously convicted of raping a 16-year-old in his home country 14 years ago.

Mr Jackson yesterday told the court how Metropolitan Police officers interviewed Zilinskas in November 2007 while he was in prison in Lithuania in relation to the 2005 allegation after he was identified by his DNA.

Zilinskas denies raping a woman three times in East London in January 2005, and two counts of attempted rape, three counts of sexual assault, two counts of false imprisonment and two counts actual bodily harm, relating to the Laindon attacks. The trial continues.