A masked teenager armed with a machete left a university student with tendon damage to his hand following a terrifying daytime robbery.
Ciucur Munteanu, 19, first approached the man, demanding his phone from him. As he handed it over, the student noticed Munteanu holding the 40-cm blade.
He then began tapping the machete against the man’s leg in order to get him to unlock the phone, before patting him down and taking his keys. Munteanu then tried to grab the man’s rucksack, but he resisted, fighting back.
READ MORE:
During the struggle he was cut to the back of the hand with the blade, resulting in tendon and nerve damage. After swiping the rucksack, Munteanu chased the terrified student away.
Pleading guilty to robbery, possession of a knife and fraud by false representation, Munteanu, of Stockport Road, Longsight, was jailed for six years in a hearing last month.
Prosecuting, Thomas Worsfold said that at midday on May 12 this year the student was walking along Hanover Street in Longsight to a house viewing when he heard a male shout from behind him.
He turned and saw Munteanu behind him wearing black tracksuit bottoms, a black and white coat with the hood up, and a black bandana which covered his face.
“The defendant asked for his mobile phone and he handed over his iPhone (valued at around £500) because he noticed that the defendant was holding a machete in his left hand by his side,” Mr Worsfold said.
“He began tapping the machete against his leg and repeatedly asked him to unlock his phone, which he did. He then asked for his wallet and patted him down, finding only his keys in his pocket.”
He tried to take the student’s rucksack, but he ‘bravely resisted’, Mr Worsfold said. “The defendant took the rucksack containing the man’s wallet and chased him as he ran away.”
CCTV was obtained which captured Munteanu chasing the student down the street. It also showed a Mercedes A Class driving slowly down the street in the moments leading up to the robbery.
Police later analysed the registration plate which led them to Munteanu’s address in Longsight.
Immediately after the incident, the Merc was driven away in the opposite direction. Hours later a number of transactions were attempted on the man’s bank card at various shops around Longsight.
Following his arrest he was taken into custody, during which he said: “not gonna lie Miss, my mates and that rob, I used to do that but not for a while, but my friends have probably robbed someone and give me the card and I’ve used it in the shop or something.”
The student was left with tendon and nerve damage to his right finger which he received 27 stitches for. He said he was unable to sit his university exams in the summer as a result and had to resit the entire year, and added that he felt too traumatised to leave the house and has since moved away.
Munteanu was said to have three previous convictions for 11 offences, all of which were committed when he was a youth. These include robbery, fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods.
Mitigating, Thomas McKail said his client had accrued debts from his cannabis use and was looking at ways to pay the money back.
“This was wholly disproportionate, violent and reckless,” he said.
“He had not targeted this young man - he had the intention to commit the offence to attempt to pay back some of those debts owed. He has demonstrated his disgust at his actions and has shown victim empathy.”
Jailing him for six years, the judge, Recorder Jon Close, said: “Why you chased him is utterly inconceivable. You already had his phone, you had already injured him - you were chasing him down the street to provoke him in this utterly terrifying incident.
“You ought to be utterly ashamed. If you fight with someone who is in possession of such a fearsome weapon, people can end up dead.”
Speaking of the impact on the student, he said he was left traumatised. Judge Close said: “He is worried about leaving his home. He had to move away from the area. You did that.”
Greater Manchester Police were unable to provide a photo.
For more of today's top stories click here.
READ NEXT:
