Robert Trandafir, a former Ocado delivery driver, battered his housemate with a truncheon and attempted to stab him with a broken plate following a dispute over a chair. The 42-year-old became enraged because a seat had not been left tucked under the kitchen table.
He retrieved an extendable baton from his car and repeatedly struck his victim in the head, causing blood to pour from the wound. However, Trandafir gave a thumbs up and smiled to the ECHO's cameras as he left Liverpool Crown Court after being spared an immediate prison sentence.
The Incident
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Trandafir and his victim, Sergio Dolbneac, had known each other for about 12 months as of October 25, 2024. Mr. Dolbneac had moved into the address on Greyhound Farm Road in Speke, where Trandafir already lived. Two other tenants were not home at the time.
Prosecutor Louise McCloskey described how Trandafir, now of March Road in Anfield, shouted that "all Moldovans are s*** and dirty" and threatened to assault Mr. Dolbneac. Frightened, Mr. Dolbneac retreated to his bedroom, hoping to defuse the situation.
Later, when Mr. Dolbneac came out and walked toward the kitchen, Trandafir opened his door and began punching him in the face. He then grabbed his victim by the neck, dragged him to the ground, and retrieved the telescopic truncheon from his car to repeatedly hit him in the head.
Mr. Dolbneac tried to escape, but Trandafir pushed him into a wall, breaking a mirror. He then attempted to stab the other man in the face with a shard of a broken plate. However, upon seeing that Mr. Dolbneac was already bleeding heavily, Trandafir stopped the attack.
Aftermath and Court Proceedings
The victim returned to his room and contacted their landlord to call the police. He was taken to Aintree Hospital, where he required a CT scan for a concussion and had staples to close a head wound.
Under arrest, Trandafir claimed self-defense, alleging that his victim had tried to enter his room and grabbed him around the waist. Defense lawyer Simon Mills told the court that Trandafir had mental health issues, a history of childhood abuse, and had been living on the streets in Romania from age 13.
Mills said: "He started self harming in childhood and has had no contact with his family for many years. He does not feel that he has ever had any help with his mental health at all." He also noted that Trandafir had suffered a serious road traffic collision in 2021, exacerbating his mental health.
Trandafir was found guilty of wounding without intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place after a three-day trial. He was handed a 21-month imprisonment suspended for two years, with 300 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 25 days, and a 12-month mental health treatment requirement.
Judge's Remarks
Sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: "You gave a false account, in which you claimed to have been acting in self-defence. You claimed that the item was not a weapon at all, but an extendable hiking pole, a particular ludicrous claim given it had 'police' written on the handle."
The judge noted an element of planning in fetching the weapon from the car after the verbal altercation. He acknowledged Trandafir's previous good character and mental health issues but warned: "If you come back before the court, none of that mitigation will count again. Expect to go to prison."
