Victim pushed out of moving vehicle in fake taxi scam, court hears

Eimear Dodd

The victim of a fake taxi scam was pushed out of a moving vehicle, a court has heard.

Maria Muntean (37) was driving a black Volkswagen car, which pulled upside beside the 19-year-old victim, who had fallen asleep while waiting for a night bus near Kildare Street on March 19th, 2023.

Her son, Damit Rostas (22) got out of the car and offered the injured party a taxi. The victim agreed, then got into the back of the car beside Rostas.

The victim asked to go to Portobello, as he believed at this point it was a legitimate taxi and plugged his phone in to charge.

At some point, he felt the car was going the wrong way and asked to be let out. Rostas told him he had to pay the fare, and there was a discussion that the injured party would pay this using Revolut.

Rostas took his bank card, saying he would sort out the fare.

As the car drove along Serpentine Avenue, a marked garda patrol car was behind it. Det Gda Kelly said they saw a rear passenger door open, and the victim pushed out of the moving car onto the road.

The car continued to drive, and the gardaí activated their blue lights, signalling for it to stop.

After it pulled over, the victim came up to gardaí while they were speaking to Muntean and Rostas, explaining that he had been robbed of his bank card.

Detective Garda Gillian Duffy told Shaun Smith BL, prosecuting, that this was a ‘fake taxi scam’ where a drunk person was preyed upon and offered an illegal taxi.

Muntean, of Swanhall Apartments, Belgard Square West, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to robbery and endangerment.

Her son Damit Rostas (22) of Virginia Hall, Belgard Square, Tallaght Dublin 24 received a sentence of 27 months last year at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role.

The victim’s phone was later found in Rostas’ underpants during a search at the garda station. A victim impact statement was handed into the court and not read aloud.

Nothing of evidential value was obtained when Muntean was interviewed. She has 50 previous convictions, including 16 for theft and 20 for trading offences.

Det Gda Kelly accepted a suggestion from Gregory Murphy BL, defending, that his client was the follower while her son was more of a leader.

It was further accepted that Muntean complied with her bail conditions and the majority of her previous convictions were from the District Court.

Murphy told the court his client has seven children, the youngest of whom has serious medical issues and requires significant ongoing care.

Counsel said he is instructed to apologise to the court and the injured party and that his client takes full responsibility. A gesture of remorse of €1000 was also available.

Murphy noted his client’s most recent conviction was from 2021 and that she has some work history after coming to this jurisdiction in 2002.

He asked the court to differentiate between the roles played by Muntean and her son.

He said the court often sees in families that come from Romania, in which the “males are the leaders while the females are more subservient”.

Murphy submitted that his client has turned her life around and asked the court to consider imposing a suspended prison sentence.

After hearing the facts of the case on Monday, Judge Martin Nolan said this was a “rather serious offence” and it was “very hard to say” if Muntean would re-offend, given her record of previous conviction, adding that the “courts are always optimistic”.

He said the court was aware when considering a custodial sentence of the potential impact on third parties, especially children.

However, the judge said the court had concluded that the defendant could not avoid a custodial term on the basis of what she had done.

Judge Nolan said the court would give Muntean time for arrangements to be made for the care of the child and adjourned finalisation until May, remanding her on continuing bail.