Monday 23 February 2015

Gateshead beheading threat : Man given suspended prison sentence.


Romanian Marius Dura pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening behaviour at Gateshead Magistrates Court.


A Romanian man has admitted threatening to behead two young girls outside an Army Reservist centre. Marius Dura, 26 of no fixed abode appeared at Gateshead Magistrates court where he pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening behaviour.
Prosecutor, Clare Irving said the incident took place at the TA Centre on Alexandra Road in Gateshead on January 21st 2015. The two girls were leaving the centre when a Silver car parked outside the gates followed them and then stopped alongside them, there were two people inside the vehicle and the driver leant across and said through the passenger`s open window "Are you`s in the army ? cos we`ll chop your heads off" 
The car then drove off and the girls reported the incident to the police. Officers carried out inquiries to try and trace the two men, its is believed that one of them has fled the country.
Dura, a Romanian father of two who lives in Germany had gone back home but returned to England voluntarily after finding out that the police wanted to speak to him, he was then arrested and charged. 
In court the two victims gave personal statements describing how they were affected by the incident. One said "The incident has terrified me and I am questioning whether I want to continue to attend the TA, I cannot stop crying as I am aware of what`s happening in this world and the impact of these threats".
The second girl said "This incident has made me very scared, we were dressed in ordinary, non-military clothing during this incident".
Defending Dura, Shaun McFaul said his client should be given full credit for returning to England and handing himself in to the police voluntarily", he added, t"here nothing sinister in this, he does accept that it was a crass and insensitive comment and not in the least a bit funny, and through me he would like to apologise to the girls for the comment, he is insensitive to the feeling of this country and what`s happening in the world, he never gauged the public feeling that this arouse in England, the repercussions are beyond England, he has had TV cameras at his mothers house in Romania, it has gone international, the repercussions of this comment have been massive to him".
District Judge, Helen Cousins imposed a six week prison sentence but suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to each victim. She told Dura, "I hope now that you understand the seriousness of this matter, it was more than insensitive, it was a terrible thing to say particularly to two young women, I give you full credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity and particular credit for the fact that you made your own arrangements to come back to this country to face the music. I want to make it clear that the compensation is not expected to make up for what the girls went through but it will hopefully give them some comfort".

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