Killer poured petrol on wife and set her on fire before confessing on Facebook
A vile killer has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his wife by dousing her with petrol and setting her on fire.
Georgian Constantin is starting a 28-year sentence today for the horrific fireball attack which left Valentina Cozma dead. The 42-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder, but a jury thought otherwise. Stafford Crown Court heard Constantin poured petrol over Valentina, 40, and set her alight in the kitchen of her home on February 9 this year, with the post-mortem establishing she died due to the effects of fire.
Police launched a manhunt after he admitted to the attack in a Facebook post he later deleted. He was arrested 150 miles away at an address in London five days later. The court heard Constantin was out for revenge on his former wife for ending their relationship and beginning a new one. He was also convicted of making threats to kill Valentina's new boyfriend after he used her phone to tell him he'd "sorted her out and was coming for him." Constantin has been jailed for two concurrent years for threatening to kill Dita Costell.
Valentina Cozma died of her injuries (Staffordshire Police / SWNS)StokeOnTrent Live reported that Valentine left behind her heartbroken siblings, nieces, and her 17 year old son who chose to remain in the UK rather than return to family in Romania to complete his education. Prosecuting, Philip Bradley said: "The petrol taken to the scene was used as a weapon. There is an aggravating feature relating to the message the defendant sent shortly after the killing. He explicitly put blame upon his 16-year-old son and the confessional message using her mobile must have brought considerable distress to her family. This is a case where it can properly be said there was an intentional to kill rather than cause serious harm."
Defending, Rachel Brand said: "It's incomprehensible that a middle-aged man with no history could commit such a terrible crime. Some people can come to terms with the end of a long relationship. Some people just can't. At first he tried to. He agreed to be the one to move out of the home so that she and her son could stay there. He went to the shared house. But a shared house with other men proved to be an unfamiliar and unwelcoming environment more isolating for him. It only served to compound his distress."
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She added: "He was depressed and suicidal. He was just completely overwhelmed with distress at the loss of his family life. That emotional trauma. He will live with the guilt that his actions killed the woman he had loved and caused dreadful pain to his son. He may never have a relationship with his son again."
Sentencing, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said that Constantin had shown no remorse for his actions. She said: "Valentina was 40 years old at the time of her death. She had been a devoted mother to her son. All speak of her in glowing terms. She was a caring, supportive and nurturing woman who looked after others before taking care of herself. Her loss and the circumstances in which she was killed have caused suffering to those who loved her. Their sense of loss that will never be repaired. Her son spoke with an emotional maturity that belied his teenage years of negotiating a new world in the absence of both parents. How even the smallest decision on which he would have sought his mother's advice has become bewildering."
The judge outlined Valentina and Constantin's relationship. They had met 20 years ago and married when she fell pregnant with their son. However, some years later Valentina sought a divorce due in part to Constantin's gambling addiction. But Constantin threatened to harm himself is she left and she was 'cowed by his emotional manipulation'. But in late 2022, she made the decision to separate permanently and Constantin, reluctant but agreeable, moved out of the family home. It was when he found out about her new boyfriend that he began to make his plans to kill her. He even told a work colleague that he would 'get that b***h'.
The judge continued: "It's clear that when you left the home you considered yourself to be the victim of unfair treatment. You convinced yourself she was the villain and that her repeated infidelity was the cause of your unhappiness and her determination to pursue other relationships the cause of your separation. Her screams of agony were heard by neighbours. A number of other witnesses tried to enter the property and call for help. You did nothing to help her or call the emergency services."
Constantin showed no emotion as he was sentenced. He must serve 28 years in prison before the parole board can consider him for release, and will serve a concurrent two years sentence for threats to kill alongside his sentence for murder. The 256 days he spent on remand will count towards his sentence. Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Adrian Webb, of Staffordshire Police's Major Investigations Department, said: "Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of Georgian Constantin’s crimes."
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