Man sentenced following 'savage' attack on Winnipeg bus

Peter Marius Radulescu is pictured in a police handout photo from 2021 (Supplied: Winnipeg Police Service)

A 45-year-old man was sentenced for an attack on a Winnipeg Transit bus described in court as “savage, sadistic and shocking.”

In the Crown’s submission, the court heard on Sunday, September 12, 2021, Peter Marius Radulescu got on Transit bus 369 at Portage and Berry around 2:15PM. He remained in his seat for about an hour. The victim, a woman in her 70s who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, got on the bus at the Polo Park bus stop at 3 p.m., and sat in front of Radulescu.

At 3:15 p.m., court heard that “with no warning, and no provocation” he pulled out the knife, raised it high in the air and plunged it into the victim. “Mr. Radulescu repeatedly stabbed her in the neck and shoulder. She turned and looked at him, and he drove it into her neck,” Crown prosecutor Nicole Roch said.

In her submission, Roch said, “the only reason he’s not charged with murder is luck. He did his best to end the life of the victim.”

After the attack, court was told Radulescu got off the bus, and the victim made her way to the front, and then collapsed and lost consciousness due to the loss of blood. She was rushed to hospital in critical and unstable condition, “hovering between life and death.”

In a submission by a doctor treating the victim, the court heard “the majority who endure this type of injury didn’t survive. It is only a matter of luck she is alive today.”

The next day, an off-duty police officer recognized Radulescu walking in front of his vehicle on Portage Avenue. He was arrested, and has subsequently pleaded guilty to attempted murder. Asked in court today if he had anything to add, Radulescu spoke a single word, “no.”

In court, Radulescu's lawyer Zilla Jones said his guilty plea was "a genuine offer to take responsibility and accountability."

Jones said Radulescu carried the knife for self protection, and the attack may have been triggered because the victim reminded him of his stepmother.

The court also heard how Radulescu's lack of affect suggested his mental health may have been affected by a disorder of some type. Jones told the court "he will be in federal custody for some time. Hopefully he will get the help he needs."

Justice Jeffrey Harris accepted the  joint recommendation from the crown and defence of a sentence of 13 years in custody, less time already served, saying there are no answers as to why Mr. Radulescu attacked the victim.

Harris addressed him saying, “I hope you get the treatment you need while incarcerated. It’s quite obvious you need some intense treatment. I hope that you take advantage of whatever is offered.”

He added, “What you did was horrible. And hopefully by the time you’re ready to be released, you will no longer be a danger to society.”