Colchester farmworker jailed for threats to kill call handlers

Dragos Lujinschi, 38, made dozens of phone calls over one and a half months from July until August, which involved him verbally abusing emergency workers and making offensive and sexual remarks.

In one call he told them “I have power – speak your address. I have power.”

Ipswich Crown Court heard on Thursday how Lujinschi was aggressive when he was arrested by police at his address at Hockley Farm, Alresford.

Court - Dragos Lujinschi appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest) Godfried Duah, prosecuting, said Lujinschi subjected police officers to similar threats made to call handlers, telling them he was going to kill them.

When he was taken into a police van, he began “ferociously kicking" the internal cage door which broke metal bars on the inside of the van.

Reading a statement provided by a police officer, Mr Duah said Lujinschi used such force that they feared the van was not strong enough to keep him inside.

He continued: “Apart from the threats he made to police officers and the damage caused to the cage, he also made gestures pulling a gun trigger whilst making gun noises at the police officers.”

Lujinschi admitted two charges of threats to kill, five counts of sending indecent or offensive messages, one count of using public communication to cause annoyance, and one charge of criminal damage.

Appearing via a video link from HMP Chelmsford, Lujinschi told the court through an interpreter that he did not intend to carry out the threats he made.

He said: “I didn’t have any intentions to do whatever I said.

“Also, I have been working hard for five years and never been in trouble before.”

He said he felt he was “treated like an animal” when he taken into the police van.

Aggressive - Dragos Lujinschi kicked 'ferociously' against a metal cage in a police van (Image: Essex Police) Sentencing Lujinschi, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said: "You thought the police were persecuting you in some way or conspiring to kill you, and that you were under threat at the time, which is why you kept on ringing emergency services.”

She continued: “Probation have assessed you as not being manageable in the community due to the possibility of this happening again, so I must pass a custodial sentence.”

Lujinschi was jailed for 16 months, though Judge Talbot-Hadley said he may be released after serving 40 per cent of his sentence.