A man who moved to the UK after being convicted of attempted murder in his native Romania was today (Friday) jailed for striking an ‘innocent woman’ to the ground with a metal bar in Spalding town centre.
Silvian Munteanu, 34, was caught on CCTV as he hit the victim with the weapon outside the XO nightclub on Westlode Street during the early hours of September 28, 2025.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the woman fell to the ground and woke up covered in blood with the police present.
She had suffered a fractured eye socket and broken nose.
Passing sentence Judge Simon Hirst told Munteanu: “What you did was outrageous.
“You raised the metal pole you were carrying and for absolutely no reason at all you struck her on the back of the head.
“Given it was a metal bar the consequences were that she fell face forward onto the floor.”
Judge Hirst said the victim was an “innocent woman” who was doing her best to calm down a confrontation between two groups of men on the street.
The court was told Munteanu and his friend, Danut Ionica, 25, who was also brandishing a wooden pole, fled the scene without offering any help to the fallen victim in an effort to avoid the police.
Munteanu discarded the metal pole and denied using it to strike the woman during his police interview.
An impact statement from the victim was read out in court. She described suffering frequent migraines and felt she was no longer the same person.
The court heard Munteanu was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 2014 for an offence of attempted murder but efforts by the Crown Prosecution Service to secure the details of the offence from the Romanian authorities had failed.
Munteanu, of Westlode Street, Spalding, admitted three charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm, affray and possessing an offensive weapon on September 28, 2025.
Ionica, of Rowan Avenue, Spalding, also pleaded guilty to two charges of affray and possessing an offensive weapon on the same date.
Edna Leonard, mitigating for Munteanu, admitted: “The video speaks for itself. It is very sad that at the start he is pulling his friend (Ionica) away.”
Miss Leonard said Munteanu was just 21-years-old when he was convicted of attempted murder in his native Romania.
“He says this was a fight with his friend. His friend was assaulting a man, and he only became involved at the end.
“The victim suffered from chest pains and was taken to hospital.
“Mr Munteanu served three years and four months, and was released for his good behaviour.
“In an effort to put things behind him he and his wife moved from their small village in Romania to the UK.
“On arrival he immediately found employment.”
Jailing Munteanu for 18 months, Judge Hirst said his offending was aggravated by his previous conviction for attempted murder.
Ionica was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months and must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.
A restraining order was also made which prevents the two men having any contact with the victim.
