The mother of murdered mother-of-three Larisa Serban has told a sentencing court it makes her “sick” to know her killer “is alive while my daughter is in the ground”.
Daniel Blanaru (37) was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the murder of Ms Serban, his 26-year-old partner, in August 2022.
In a victim impact statement read to the Central Criminal Court by her eldest son at Blanaru’s sentencing, Georgeta Serban said: “Now this criminal lives. Yes, he is in prison, but he is doing well.”
“When I saw him last, he looked better than he was before he was caught. He was fatter, better fed, than before he killed the mother of my grandkids,” her statement said.
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“It made me sick, the thought that he is alive while my daughter is in the ground.”
Ms Serban was found in the early hours of the morning on the floor between the bedroom and the hallway of her home, having died from a stab wound to the chest.
Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Serban (26) at that address on or about August 12th, 2022.
Ms Serban sustained two stab wounds, with one to her chest measuring 12cm which punctured the heart, lung and aorta proving fatal. Her blood was found on Blanaru’s clothing.
Det Garda Kevin O’Brian of Kells Garda station told the sentence hearing that, under several rounds of interviews in custody, Blanaru told gardaí: “I am guilty, please lock me up.”
Passing sentence, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the Serban family for their statements and said she wanted to extend her “deepest condolences” to them.
She said that for the crime, committed with “needless and horrific violence”, she had to impose on Blanaru the mandatory life sentence.
Ms Justice Creedon backdated the sentence to the day he went into custody.
A number of Blanaru’s family members told gardaí he claimed he had stabbed Ms Serban after catching her in bed with another man.
However, two of these witnesses resiled from their statements in their direct evidence to the trial. Blanaru also later confirmed when interviewed by detectives that he did not find his partner with anyone else.
