Drunk brothers beat man to death after a night drinking vodka turned violent

Two brothers have been found guilty of murder after they attacked two men at a house in South Yorkshire and killed one of them.
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A Sheffield Crown Court trial has heard how Florin Andrei, aged 45, and his brother Gabriel Andrei, aged 41, had been drinking vodka with Alexandru and Catalin Rizea - who were also brothers - at Gabriel’s home on Pindar Oaks Cottages, near Kendray, Barnsley.

Sam Green QC, prosecuting, claimed the Rizea brothers, who speak Romanian, had visited the Andrei brothers because of a work connection and had been drinking vodka at the property overnight during October 11 and 12, 2020, before the Andrei brothers attacked the Rizea brothers.

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Despite denying the charges against them, Florin Andrei, of no fixed abode, and Gabriel Andrei were both found guilty by a jury on June 29 of the murder of Catalin Rizea and were both found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.

Florin Andrei, aged 45, and his brother Gabriel Andrei, aged 41,Florin Andrei, aged 45, and his brother Gabriel Andrei, aged 41,
Florin Andrei, aged 45, and his brother Gabriel Andrei, aged 41,

Mr Green previously told the trial: “Both the Rizea brothers were subjected to a sustained and vicious assault by the defendants together using hands and feet and probably one or two weapons.

"Alexandru lost consciousness due to the assault upon him and when he woke up it was late. He saw Catalin in a chair not moving and thought his brother was dead and he made his escape from the property through a ground floor window.”

A motorist took Alexandru Rizea to Kendray Hospital, according to Mr Green, and he was transferred to Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital with bleeding on the brain and facial and head injuries.

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Mr Green said police found blood on the door of Gabriel Andrei’s home and found Catalin Rizea covered by a coat with a gash and blood on his head.

Pictured is Gabriel Andrei, aged 41, of Pindar Oaks Cottages, near Kendray, Barnsley, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.Pictured is Gabriel Andrei, aged 41, of Pindar Oaks Cottages, near Kendray, Barnsley, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.
Pictured is Gabriel Andrei, aged 41, of Pindar Oaks Cottages, near Kendray, Barnsley, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.

The Andrei brothers had claimed to police who had visited the property that the Rizea brothers had fallen out and had had too much to drink and they may have been fighting with each other.

Police found blood throughout the living room including on a chair, a table, a sofa and in the area around Catalin Rizea, according to Mr Green.

Mr Green said paramedics took Catalin Rizea to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital and he had sustained a brain injury and a decision was made to withdraw his life support and he was pronounced dead on October 14, 2020.

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A post mortem examination revealed Catalin Rizea had died as a result of a blunt force trauma causing bleeding and widespread nerve injury to the brain.

Pictured is Florin Andrei, aged 45, of no fixed abode, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.Pictured is Florin Andrei, aged 45, of no fixed abode, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.
Pictured is Florin Andrei, aged 45, of no fixed abode, who is due to be sentenced after he has been found guilty of murdering Catalin Rizea and of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alexandru Rizea.

The pathologist found lacerations to Catalin’s scalp which were most likely caused by a blunt object and a cut caused from a knife or broken glass was also found, according to Mr Green.

Mr Green added forensic evidence had included a blood-spattered tracksuit top allegedly belonging to Florin Andrei, a blood stained t-shirt allegedly belonging to Catalin Rizea, a blood-stained knife and a broken vodka bottle neck.

Mrs Justice Christina Lambert told the court she will consider the defence counsel's submissions on Thursday, July 1, before sentencing on the same day