Drunk dad tried to strangle wife while she held their baby son in Mansfield

Dumitru Rosu’s wife returned to their Goldsmith Street home from an induction day at Sports Direct, to discover he was drunk, at 5pm on February 28.

“She was annoyed with him as he had been left in charge of their 18-month-old son,” said prosecutor Donna Fawcett.

Rosu hit her on the right cheek with the heel of his hand while she sat next to their son, causing “severe pain.”

When she approached him in the kitchen, while holding their son, he grabbed her by the neck and squeezed.

“She couldn’t breathe and she was very scared. She asked him if he was crazy and was he trying to kill her,” Ms Fawcett continued.

“She turned away with the child in her arms. He pulled her down by the hair. She describes managing to pull herself away.

“She was so angry she told him: “If you touch me again I will kill you with my own hand.””

Rosu offered her a knife and passed her the telephone, then tried to take it off her, but she was able to cry for help.

“He came at her again with his arms raised,” said Ms Fawcett. “She feared further strangulation so she pushed him back with her right leg.

“He fell over. She tried to leave the property.

“He pushed her back into the living room and snatched the child off her. The child was screaming by this point. He ejected her from the house.

“She sought help from neighbours. She managed to take the child from him and go to a neighbour’s house to wait for the police.”

Ms Fawcett said Rosu was later arrested for breaching the terms of his bail when he contacted the woman, on March 19.

Rosu, 47, admitted assault, via a Romanian interpreter, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on March 8.

On Wednesday, March 20, district judge Jonathan Taaffe said: “This is a disgraceful offence. You have, within the sanctuary of this lady’s home, subjected her to a terrifying ordeal.

“All in the presence of your young child and because you were drunk.”

Rosu was given a 14 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £115 government surcharge.

A two-year restraining order preventing him from going to his wife’s new address was imposed.

You can read more of the latest Mansfield court cases here.