‘You could see the hate in his eyes’ – 18-year-old father-of-two scares kids at call center

An angry teenage father terrified parents and children at a contact center after he was denied the chance to see his two children. Emanuel Radu, 18, was banned from St Andrew’s Contact Centre, near Leicester Royal Infirmary, because of a previous incident where he had also become aggressive, a court heard.

The previous incident happened on Tuesday, February 27, when the teenager, who does not speak English, became enraged during a visit to meet his two children while speaking to an interpreter who was there to help him. Richard Holt, prosecuting, told Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Monday: ‘He became aggressive.

“He told the performer he was going to kill him, in addition to a series of horrible and vulgar comments. This was said in front of the children.”

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Radu was told that he could not attend the next day’s meeting and declared three times that he would burn down the building before leaving. The incident that led to his arrest happened six days later and happened in front of both adults and children.

She returned to the center on Monday, March 4, hoping to see her children again, but was told she could not because she was denied access to the center. He began punching the security window at reception and then told staff: “I can break this”, before spitting at the window, punching it three times and headbutting him twice, broke it.

He then told a member of staff: “Come out, I’ll kill you,” pointing to her neck. In a statement from the woman which was read out in court, she said: “I was very intimidated and I’m not intimidated easily.

“You could see the hate in his eyes. I found him quite frightening because I thought he was capable of harming us.

“I found him one of the most frightening men I have ever met. Vulnerable parents were scared by the way he behaves.”

Jagvir Sangherra, who represents Radu, of Cavendish Road, off Saffron Lane in Leicester, said: “He doesn’t really understand English. He has problems with expressing emotion.”

He said Radu, who pleaded guilty to criminal damage and using threatening behavior with intent to cause fear of violence, was keen to see his children again and was taking steps to get permission.

The case was adjourned for the probation service to report on Radu and he was banned from returning to the contact centre. Sentencing will take place on Monday, July 1, back at Leicester Crown Court.