Man sentenced following 'savage' attack on Winnipeg bus
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.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.