Robber held knife to lone woman's throat in Corby as she walked to work in early hours

Romanian Dumitru Dominte was at Northampton Crown Court on Friday (June 28) to be sentenced for robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Prosecuting, Kelly Purcell-Chandler said that the female victim was walking to work at about 4am when she noticed a hooded figure behind her,

As she walked up Studfall Avenue toward George Street, she phoned a pal but the man continued to follow her.

Ms Purcell-Chandler said: “As she stepped off the kerb to cross over Studfall Avenue the man grabbed her from behind. She screamed and attempted to get him off her but he dragged her to the other side of the road and tried to take her phone.

"He pushed her into the road and she landed on her back.”

The victim then noticed that Dominte, of Lowry Close, Corby, had a large kitchen knife with him. She screamed again and he held the knife to her throat. He grabbed her phone but could not operate it so threw it on the phone and stamped on it, smashing it to pieces.

Ms Purcell Chandler continued: “As she tried to get away he shouted ‘where’s your money’ and grabbed her handbag.”

The victim didn’t have any cash on her so he discarded her bag and left the scene on foot.

She was left with a cut to her neck where the knife had been, as well as a cut to her cheek and a black eye.

Police were able to catch warehouse worker Dominte from DNA evidence he left on her phone.

The court heard that the 24-year-old had no previous convictions for violence but had been caught driving without insurance or a licence at nearly three times the legal alcohol limit in Gainsborough Road on Boxing Day 2022.

Mitigating, Nathalie Carter said: “My client can’t quite come to terms with the fact he’s committed this offence.

"He tells me he’s never been violent before."

The court heard he had met his partner just a month after the offence, which took place in March 2022, and that they had settled down together and had a child. Ms Carter said that Dominte had taken drugs and was drunk when he committed the robbery but had not taken drugs since he met his partner.

She said that he and his partner worked opposite shifts so they could care for their child and she would now have to give up her job in order to look after him full time.

Sentencing Dominte, Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking said: "It was a terrifying incident.”

She gave him a prison sentence of four years and one month but said that he did not meet the legal ‘dangerousness’ criteria so would not have his sentence extended by a longer licence period.

Judge Lucking also commended Detective Sergeant Matthew Crick for his diligent work on the case and the presentation of the file to the court.

Following the case, lead investigator DS Crick said: “This was a terrifying and random attack on a lone woman in the early hours of the morning so I am really pleased to see Dominte sent to prison for a number of years.

“Although attacks like this are rare, I hope our response reassures the community that Northamptonshire Police are equipped to robustly deliver justice in cases such as this and that tackling serious violence remains a priority for us.

“Finally I’d like to thank the victim in this case. What she went through that morning was nothing short of terrifying but she has shown immense bravery in supporting a police investigation and seeing this case through to the end. She should be proud of her courage and I hope the conclusion of this case brings her some closure and comfort.”