Daniel Mihai Popescu has been jailed for 17 years and four months for the attempted murder of a pregnant woman who he left in a pool of blood.
Mother-of-two Andreea Pintili was 37 weeks pregnant when the horror attack happened in a busy street on December 5 last year. She was rushed to hospital but discharged the following day after medics carried out checks on her and her unborn child.
Neighbours are said to have rushed to help Ms Pintilli and stop the flow of blood while the victim was reportedly able to use a mobile phone to contact a friend to say what happened.
Former chocolate factory worker Popescu, 29, also admitted stalking 29-year-old fellow Romanian Andreea before stabbing her as she dropped her children to school. He was jailed today at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.
Prosecutor John Hipkin KC told the court Popescu had been in a relationship with Ms Pintilli from September 2020 until August 2023, but had ended the relationship over his gambling habit. He later became obsessed with her, and began stalking her between October and December of the same year. On December 5, he carried out the attack after following Ms Pintelli outside her home at 7.45am, grabbing her and stabbing her multiple times with an 8-inch knife. The court heard that Popescu told her: "I have a knife and I am going to kill you."
Ms Pintili, who was 29 at the time of the incident and 37 weeks pregnant with Popescu's child, was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment and later discharged. Local schools were placed under lockdown for several hours during the incident.
Popescu pleaded guilty to attempted murder and stalking at a hearing earlier this year. Appearing at Merthyr Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, Recorder of Cardiff, handed Popescu a 20-year and four-month extended sentence, comprising 17 years and four months in jail and a further three years on licence, when he will be monitored.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke said the extended sentence was needed to "protect the public in the future" and despite his guilty pleas said it was "apparent you feel very little true remorse". Popescu must serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before the parole board will consider whether he is safe to be released.