VICENTIU LUCA CALIN SENTENCED IN ILFORD FOR VIOLENT DOMESTIC ABUSE
A man who subjected his partner to months of violent abuse has been sentenced to prison.Vicentiu Luca Calin, 29, of Northbrook Road, Ilford, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 5 November 2021, where he received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Calin had pleaded guilty to charges of actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm with intent, and assault by beating during an earlier hearing on Tuesday, 24 August.
An additional charge of false imprisonment will remain on file.
The court was informed that on Friday, 1 January, police attending a call at a hospital in Ilford were approached by the victim’s friend, who reported that she had been kidnapped and severely assaulted by Calin.
The survivor, who was 26 at the time, told officers that she and Calin had been staying together in a hotel in October 2020, and that over the following three months, he became increasingly violent.
Between October and December 2020, Calin repeatedly assaulted her.
During the period from Christmas Day to 27 December 2020, the assaults intensified, resulting in the survivor suffering a bleed on her brain and permanent scars on her face.
Calin became more aggressive and controlling, forbidding her from speaking to her family, preventing her from seeking help, and threatening her with death.
Throughout their relationship, Calin inflicted brutal injuries on her, including burning her face and body with lit cigarettes and beating her with furniture inside the hotel room.
He admitted that he had used lit cigarettes to cause facial injuries because she spent too long looking in the mirror, believing she was attractive.
As a result of the abuse, the woman has permanent scars on her face and body, along with numbness in her lips, which affects her speech, eating, and drinking.
On 27 December, the survivor convinced Calin to allow her to go out to see her friends, fearing they might become worried and alert the authorities.
She then took a taxi to another hotel to seek refuge and shortly afterward visited a hospital with her friend for medical treatment.
Calin was arrested on Sunday, 3 January, for multiple offences.
When officers found him, the vehicle he was using was stained with blood.
Detective Sergeant Janet Glover of the North East BCU Public Protection Unit commented, “This was a complex investigation that was carried out diligently by my colleague Detective Constable Campion.
She worked tirelessly with the victim in this case ensuring that she had the necessary support to see this case through to court.” Detective Constable Amy Campion praised the survivor’s bravery, stating, “I would like to pay tribute to the survivor for having the courage to come forward and give evidence in this case.
She has shown tremendous courage throughout this investigation, from the initial allegation to her attendance at court and her ability to speak out about the horrendous domestic abuse that she has suffered at the hands of Calin.
With her bravery and assistance in this case, we have ensured that this dangerous offender was brought to justice and ultimately received a lengthy custodial sentence.”
