Man sentenced to prison for attempting to murder pregnant woman in Aberfan

Daniel Mihai Popescu, a man who stabbed a pregnant woman on a street in South Wales, has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. He hid behind a parked car with a large knife and waited for Andreea Pintili to return home to Coronation Place, Aberfan, on December 5, 2023. As she tried to run from him, she fell to the floor and Popescu repeatedly stabbed her. Popescu, of no fixed address, only stopped his assault when confronted by a member of the public. Ms. Pintili, who was 29 at the time and 37 weeks pregnant with Popescu’s child, was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment and later discharged.

Popescu pleaded guilty to attempted murder and stalking at a hearing earlier in the year. Appearing at Merthyr Crown Court, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Popescu to a 20-year and four-month extended sentence, comprising 17 years and four months in jail and an additional three years on licence, during which he will be monitored. The judge stated that the extended sentence was necessary to protect the public in the future, and despite his guilty pleas, said Popescu showed very little true remorse. Popescu must serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before the parole board considers whether he is safe to be released.

The court heard that Popescu and Ms. Pintili had been in a relationship for about three years until August 2023. He refused to accept her decision to end the relationship and began stalking her, leaving her messages, knocking on her window, and calling her from a withheld number. Popescu was arrested and released on bail, with a condition not to contact Ms. Pintili. However, on December 1, 2023, Popescu messaged his sister saying he had found out where Ms. Pintili was living and that she had gotten back together with her former partner. He also sent disturbing messages indicating violent intentions.

On December 6, he traveled to Aberfan with a large knife and waited for Ms. Pintili to return from dropping her children off at school, hiding behind a parked car. He grabbed her by the arm, threatened her with the knife, and stabbed her multiple times as she fell to the floor, trying to protect her unborn child. A woman passing by witnessed the attack, screamed for help, and Popescu fled the scene. Fortunately, the unborn child was unharmed in the ordeal.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector James Morris commended the victim for her courage in supporting the prosecution. He described Popescu’s actions as a senseless and sustained act of violence and commended the brave member of the public who intervened to help the victim. Senior Crown Prosecutor Jordan Jones emphasized that the attack had a profound effect not only on the victim but also on the wider community, causing local schools to shut down until the police could apprehend Popescu shortly after the incident. Jones expressed hope that the sentencing would provide some justice to both the victim and the community affected by Popescu’s actions.