Five men who carried out a violent attack outside Bristol Airport that holidaymakers believed was an “active act of terror” have been jailed for a combined 16 years and 10 months.
Vladamir Stan, 52, Able Marin, 21, Florin Stan, 28, Constantin Stan, 29, and Emanuel-Ronaldo Dumitru, 27, assaulted two men with bats after deliberately crashing into their vehicle at a roundabout near the airport entrance on the A38 on 21 February. The men pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Bristol Crown Court on 28 August.
The three Stans and Marin each received sentences of three years and three months in prison after also pleading guilty to possession of an offensive weapon. Dumitru was jailed for three years and one month. Constantin Stan received four years, having additionally pleaded guilty to several shoplifting offences.
How the attack unfolded
Bristol Crown Court heard that the five men arrived at the airport at about 08:30 GMT on a Saturday morning, travelling in separate cars. They waited for their victims to leave the airport pick-up point. When the two men were in their vehicle, the gang targeted the car, colliding with it at a roundabout by the airport entrance before getting out of their own cars and attacking the occupants with bats.
The 21-year-old victim sustained cuts and bruises to his face and body. The 37-year-old victim was left with knife wounds. One of the victims is still receiving physiotherapy and attempting to return to normal everyday life, police said.
Creating “immense fear”
Detective Constable Charlotte Couch, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “We understand the immense fear this incident caused, with witnesses believing at the time this was an active act of terror.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Detective Constable Ryan Hurt added: “This attack was a serious incident that was targeted and planned, occurring during a Saturday morning at an airport with no thought for anyone else including members of the public.”
Judge Burgess said the attack caused “serious fear and disruption” to other road users and holidaymakers, noting that witnesses had thought it was a “terrorist incident” or “car-jacking”. A significant number of police resources were dispatched to the scene, responding quickly and securing the offenders at the earliest opportunity.
The defendants and victims are known to each other, police said, and officers have sought to reassure the public that they do not believe there to be any wider risk from the gang.
Why it matters
The incident at Bristol Airport, one of the South West’s busiest transport hubs, caused significant disruption and alarm on a busy Saturday morning. The perception among witnesses that they were witnessing a terrorist attack underscores how violent, coordinated attacks in public places can ripple fear far beyond the immediate victims.
Police said the attack was targeted and planned, and that the gang showed no thought for members of the public caught up in the violence. The swift police response and the early securing of the offenders mitigated the risk of further harm. The case also highlights a pattern of group violence involving bats and vehicles that officers have had to respond to in the region.
What happens next
With all five men now jailed, the immediate criminal case has concluded. The victims continue their recovery, with one still undergoing physiotherapy. Police have said they do not believe there is any wider risk to the public from those involved. The sentencing brings to a close a case that began with a morning attack near the airport that briefly raised fears of a terrorist incident before being identified as a targeted assault between people known to each other.
We do not allow links of any sort in comments. No SPAM whatsoever. On topic comments only.