Daniel Popescu jailed for attempted murder of pregnant ex-partner in Aberfan
A “jealous” man who stabbed his pregnant ex-partner after stalking her for weeks has been jailed for attempted murder – after a court heard how his victim was convinced he would kill her and her unborn child.
Daniel Mihai Popescu, of no fixed abode, previously pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Andreea Pintili in Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil, last December.
Ms Pintilii was 37 weeks pregnant at the time of the attack.
Aberfan, Wales
The 29-year-old also pleaded guilty to stalking Ms Pintili between 25 October and 6 December 2023.
He was sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison and a further three years on licence as part of an extended sentence. He denied an additional charge of intimidating a witness.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard on Wednesday afternoon that Popescu had been in a relationship with Andreea Pintili since about September 2020.
The prosecution said Popescu then developed a “gambling habit” and the couple separated around the time of August 2023.
Prosecuting, John Hipkin said Popescu had become “obsessed” with Ms Pintili in the months before the attack.
In one incident, on 31 October, Popescu “left two bags of his clothing outside her address”.
“He proceeded to leave her a voicemail saying, ‘Don’t touch my clothes, I’m not going from the street until you get back together with me’,” Mr Hipkin said.
“He then repeatedly knocked her window. As a result of this, the defendant was arrested and released on bail, with a condition not to contact Andreea Pintili.”
Victim ‘tried to break free’
Ms Pintili then moved to the Aberfan area but Popescu found out.
At the time, he had been staying with a man called Stephen Phillips.
The prosecution said Mr Phillips had noted how Popescu had become “agitated and annoyed over a period of time” and that he had told him he was “going to stab his ex-girlfriend’s new partner”.
“On 5 December, the defendant travelled to Moy Road, Aberfan, where Andreea Pintili was then living,” Mr Hipkin added.
“The defendant had armed himself with a knife from the address at which he was staying. The knife had a seven-to-eight-inch blade.”
The scene on Moy Road on 5 December after the stabbing. Pic: PA
Local schools and nurseries were placed under a precautionary lockdown for several hours when Popescu attacked Ms Pintili on 5 December 2023.
Officers from South Wales Police were called shortly before 9.10am to reports of a woman having been stabbed in Moy Road.
Ms Pintili sustained three superficial injuries to her thumb and two penetrating wounds to her back.
Scans revealed that her unborn child’s signs of life were normal and she was discharged from the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff the following day.
The court was shown two pieces of footage, a 19-second clip which appeared to show Popescu crouching behind a vehicle with a knife in his hand, and another which showed the attack itself.
“The defendant told her that he had a knife and was going to kill her,” Mr Hipkin told the court.
“She tried to break free but fell to the floor. The defendant then proceeded to stab her a number of times.
“Perhaps fortunately a woman named Kira Terrett was walking her dog nearby. She screamed and ran to try and help and with that the defendant then ran off.”
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‘He wasn’t going to stop until he killed me and my unborn child’
In a victim’s statement read out in court on her behalf, Ms Pintili said she felt “lucky to be alive after this harrowing experience”.
“I have no doubt that, had he got me into the house, he would have killed me. This was clearly his intention that day, to kill me and my unborn child,” she added.
“He was very jealous and couldn’t handle the fact we’d split up and I had no intention of ever getting back with him. He wasn’t going to stop until he killed me.”
She said the attack had left her feeling “very anxious when leaving the house” and that she had to “relive this day over and over”.
In mitigation, Mr David Aubrey KC said Popescu entered a guilty plea and that he “desisted from the attack”.
Mr Aubrey also told the court that Popescu suffers from “low mood and anxiety”.
“He has expressed his remorse and regret, which is genuine,” he added.
But, while mitigating, Mr Aubrey said he did not seek to “minimise the terror that the victim experienced at the time of the attack”.
Sentencing Popescu, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Popescu felt “very little true remorse”.
“In my judgement, the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors,” she added.
Popescu was forbidden from contacting Ms Pintili or any of her children and was also banned from entering Merthyr Tydfil.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
Read more from Sky News:
Ten Reform councillors quit in protest
Liz Truss sends cease and desist letter to Starmer
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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