A man has been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison following a major public order incident in Swindon that saw him scale a rooftop and remain there for several hours, disrupting the local community and emergency services.
Constantin Turcanu, 29, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance. He also received additional time for breaching both a suspended sentence and a community order.
Incident Overview
The disturbance unfolded on Sunday 25 May, when Turcanu climbed out of a window onto the roof of a building in Newhall Street at around 8:20am. He remained on the roof for most of the day, prompting a large-scale emergency response.
Roads were cordoned off and access restricted as police negotiated with the individual, causing widespread disruption in the surrounding area.
Police Reaction
Local Crime Investigator Greenaway of Wiltshire Police said:
“Constantin Turcanu took up valuable police time as he put himself and the public in danger. Wasting police or other emergency services time — or misusing our services — is taken very seriously.”
He emphasized that the sentence reflects the need to protect emergency service resources and public safety.
Sentencing Breakdown
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8 weeks in prison for causing a public nuisance
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12 weeks for breaching a suspended sentence (served concurrently)
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16 weeks for breaching a community order
All sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total custodial period of 16 weeks.
Community Impact
The incident, which attracted public attention and disrupted traffic, was described by fire and police officials as a “protracted and dangerous situation.” Authorities praised the professionalism of responding officers and emergency crews.
Anyone with further information related to the incident is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101.
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