Five men convicted of violently assaulting four British citizens in Bucharest’s Old Town have avoided prison despite the fact that one of the victims required up to 65 days of medical treatment. Prosecutors challenged the ruling and have filed an appeal, with the case now set to be reviewed by the Bucharest Court of Appeal.
The case, which stems from one of the most violent incidents reported in the Romanian capital’s historic center last summer, has now entered the appeals stage. According to court records, the Prosecutor’s Office attached to Bucharest’s District 3 Court contested the verdict issued in case no. 28381/301/2025, in which five men were convicted of assault and battery as well as disturbing public order and peace.
The appeal was registered with the Bucharest Court of Appeal’s Second Criminal Division on June 5, 2026, under file number 2049/2026.
The defendants are Simion Matei Doru, Drăgoi Sinel Gabriel, Dena Iulian Andrei, Marin George and Lăcătuși Alexandru Ramon. The civil parties in the case are British nationals Kieran Christopher Paul McGreevy, Callum Lavelle, Liam Colby Steeples and Keiran Robert Lavelle, as well as the Bucharest Emergency Clinical Hospital.
Britons came to romania for a wedding, ended up in hospital
According to the District 3 Court ruling, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 4, 2025.
The four British citizens had traveled to Romania to attend the wedding of one of their friends, scheduled for the following day. After spending the night in several venues in Bucharest’s Old Town, they arrived in the area of Șelari Street, where a confrontation broke out with a group of Romanian men.
Judges found that the altercation quickly escalated into a full-scale street brawl in front of numerous bystanders.
Surveillance footage and witness statements showed that the victims were repeatedly punched and kicked, including after they had fallen to the ground.
According to the court’s reasoning, one of the British nationals was struck in the head and collapsed into other people nearby. Another victim was repeatedly punched in the face and abdomen and was knocked to the ground several times.
The court also found that the attackers continued the assault even as the victims attempted to withdraw from the confrontation. In one instance, one of the defendants chased a British citizen who was trying to escape and kicked him after he had fallen onto the roadway.
Witnesses reported seeing victims covered in blood and struggling to walk following the attack.
One victim required up to 65 days of medical treatment
Forensic medical examinations established that the four victims suffered injuries of varying severity.
One victim required one to two days of medical care, another needed nine to ten days, a third required between 25 and 30 days, while the most seriously injured victim needed between 60 and 65 days of medical treatment.
The court concluded that the offenses carried a high degree of social danger, not only because of the level of violence involved but also because the attack occurred in one of Bucharest’s busiest tourist districts.
Judges noted that the incident caused panic and fear among people in the area and seriously disrupted public order.
Suspended sentences for all five defendants
Before the court, all five defendants admitted their involvement and requested to be tried under Romania’s simplified procedure, which provides for reduced sentencing limits.
The District 3 Court imposed prison terms ranging from one year and three months to two years:
- Simion Matei Doru – 2 years in prison;
- Drăgoi Sinel Gabriel – 1 year and 11 months in prison;
- Dena Iulian Andrei – 1 year and 7 months in prison;
- Marin George – 1 year and 3 months in prison;
- Lăcătuși Alexandru Ramon – 1 year and 3 months in prison.
However, the court suspended all prison sentences under supervision, allowing the defendants to avoid incarceration.
Judges justified the decision by noting that the men had no significant criminal records, admitted their actions and cooperated with investigators.
In addition, each defendant was ordered to perform 60 days of unpaid community service and participate in social reintegration programs.
Compensation awarded to victims
The court also awarded moral damages to the British victims.
One victim will receive 20,000 lei (approximately €4,000), another 15,000 lei, and a third 10,000 lei in compensation for non-material damages.
The judges ruled that the assault caused not only physical suffering but also significant psychological harm. However, they reduced some of the amounts requested by the victims, finding that the claims exceeded compensation levels typically awarded in similar cases.
The defendants were also ordered to reimburse part of the medical expenses incurred by the Bucharest Emergency Clinical Hospital.
Dissatisfied with the ruling issued by the District 3 Court, prosecutors filed an appeal.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal will now decide whether suspended sentences are sufficient or whether the seriousness of the attack warrants harsher punishment.
The case has drawn particular attention because the victims were foreign visitors who had come to Romania for a pre-wedding celebration and became involved in a violent assault in one of Bucharest’s most prominent tourist destinations.
