A hardened criminal who disfigured a woman with his fists and forced an elderly man to make ATM withdrawals has been sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison. Constantin Alin Dinescu was also declared a long-term offender for the maximum period of 10 years.
The 37-year-old Montrealer, nicknamed Daniel Dinescu, pleaded guilty Wednesday before Judge Christian M. Tremblay to charges of robbery, extortion, forcible confinement and assault. His trial was scheduled for next month at the Montreal courthouse. The victim in this case is Pierre*, a 71-year-old man, and Kim*, a vulnerable woman known to the accused.
On the evening of January 15, 2020, the septuagenarian drove his car on Sainte-Catherine Street, where he used to meet sex workers. He then takes Kim, whom he has known for a few weeks, on board. A little later, Kim waves the accused outside, and convinces the driver to pick him up, saying he’s a “good guy”.
During the trip, Constantin Alin Dinescu and Kim consume crack on the back seat of the vehicle. The accused then becomes “very aggressive” and begins to punch the woman. He says to Peter, “Toé you look ahead, you do what I tell you, you shut your eyes”, according to the summary of the facts.
Constantin Alin Dinescu then forces Pierre to go to an ATM to withdraw funds. He warns his captives not to make false moves. When Pierre gets the wrong PIN in his annoyance, Dinescu grabs him by the neck and threatens to lash out at Kim if he makes another mistake. The victim ultimately hands over $1,000 to her assailant, then withdraws funds from another bank.
At Parc des Faubourgs, Dinescu destroys Pierre’s bank card and throws his car keys into the snow. He orders his captive to lie down in the car for five minutes. He eventually forces Kim to follow him.
A week later, Dinescu goes to an apartment near the Berri-UQAM station, known to be a place of consumption. He finds Kim there, lying in a bed with another man. The accused freaks out and beats the woman. A violent attack.
Jaw shattered, Kim denounces her executioner by writing his name on a piece of paper. She had to undergo numerous surgeries to treat her facial injuries. Dinescu was convicted of aggravated assault for this crime in January 2022.
As the accused had been detained on remand for several years, he only has about three years left to serve on his sentence. However, he will be subject to severe surveillance conditions for 10 years.
Dinescu presents a long criminal roadmap for cases of kidnapping, extortion and possession of a prohibited weapon. He has already served several prison sentences for these numerous crimes.
Me Geneviève Rondeau-Marchand represented the Crown, while Me Marie-Hélène Giroux defended the accused.
