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Laurentine Maroleanu |
Killer punch landed by friend in tragic brawl
Defendant weeps with remorse as sentence is handed down
A FATAL attack on a drinker outside the Rocket pub in Somers Town led to a tearful fellow worker being jailed at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
The case was described as a “tragedy for all concerned,” as the two men had been good friends.
Both were from Romania and were employed on the Channel Tunnel rail link project at St Pancras.
Self-confessed killer Paul Edward Alucai, 29, admitted the manslaughter of Laurentine Maroleanu, a 33-year-old father of a young daughter. He died from a shattered skull on the roadway in Chalton Street after the pair had been involved in a drunken brawl.
Prosecutor Louis Mably dropped a murder allegation, offering no evidence.
Mr Alucai, of York Way, King’s Cross, wept as he was sentenced to 15 months. But he was told that he will serve only half – with the remainder suspended – and that the 172 days he had been in prison on remand would be deducted.
He could be paroled early in the new year.
Judge Jeremy Roberts, QC, told him “This case has all the hallmarks of being a tragic accident.”
But because a life had needlessly been lost, a jail term had to be imposed, he added.
Mr Alucai, of excellent previous character, had expressed remorse and regret for the single punch which felled his pal and would have to live with the guilt on his conscience for the rest of his life, Judge Roberts said.
His defence counsel, Ravi Dogra, told the court, as Mr Alucai followed the proceedings through an interpreter, “If it hadn’t been for alcohol none of us would be here and Mr Maroleanu would be alive.”
Mr Alucai insisted on taking his punishment and being sentenced without any social inquiry report being prepared on him.
The court was told that on June 27 the two friends had finished their shift and went with colleagues to the Rocket, where they chatted, joked and downed pints of lager.
By 11pm, said Mr Mably, things turned ugly with a dispute over wages. “The deceased started swearing at the defendant. Voices were raised and Mr Maroleanu – known as Lorenzo and living in Pinner Road, Harrow, with his wife Christina and daughter – threw a pint glass.”
It smashed on Mr Alucai’s head, causing a gash, and then the pair squared up to each other. After some pushing and shoving they were ordered to leave by the deputy manager.
“It was clear to other customers and staff that both men were pretty drunk and that the deceased was the aggressor,” said counsel.
After smashing his way through the bar doors, knocking one off its hinges, Mr Alucai was knocked to the ground by a savage punch and for a few seconds lost consciousness. When he was helped to his feet, his face was covered in blood.
He let fly with a right hand, sending Mr Maroleanu off the kerb and plunging backwards, sustaining severe and fatal fractures to the head.
An off-duty fireman went to his aid and others helped. But there was nothing anyone could do to save him.
Mr Alucai remained at the scene and was arrested. He later claimed he had so much to drink he could not recall the events. But he agreed that he had landed several punches on Mr Maroleanu, employed as a window fixer, before the blow which sent him reeling. |
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