"Man eluded Canadian airport security for 24 hours"

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Man eluded airport security for 24 hours
By BRIAN HAYES
Canada - The Halifax Herald


A man with no identification and no money spent nearly 24 hours in an
off-limits area of the Halifax International Airport before being
arrested, a Dartmouth provincial court heard Monday. 

Federal Crown attorney James Martin said Vlad Sandulescu, a Canadian
citizen of Romanian descent, scaled a fence Wednesday night and gained
entry to the terminal through an unlocked door. 

Mr. Martin said the 29-year-old man spent the night hidden above the
ceiling tile of a washroom. 

The next day, he said, Mr. Sandulescu tried to board at least three
planes without a boarding pass or ticket. One flight was headed to
Frankfurt, Germany, a second to New York and the third to Boston. 

RCMP arrested Mr. Sandulescu about 8:30 p.m. Thursday after being told
by airport security that workers had refused to allow a man without a
boarding pass to enter the departure lounge and get on the flight to
Boston. 

The lounge is a secure area, where only ticket-holding travellers and
airport workers are allowed. 

Police charged Mr. Sandulescu under the Aeronautics Act with being in an
unauthorized area of the airport and under the Criminal Code with
violating a probation order to keep the peace. 

In February, he was sentenced in a Newfoundland court to 90 days in jail
for theft and possession of stolen goods and credit cards. He was also
placed on probation for one year. 

Mr. Sandulescu, who was scheduled for a bail hearing Monday, instead
pleaded guilty to the two charges. 

Judge Alanna Murphy sentenced him to six months' probation for
trespassing at the airport and 22 days in jail for breaching his
probation. 

Noting that Mr. Sandulescu had served four days in custody on remand,
she double-credited that time as eight days served. 

The probation order required him to keep the peace, banned him from
possessing weapons and ordered him to notify the court of any change in
address. 

Mr. Sandulescu was also barred from being within 100 metres of any
airport in Canada unless he has a ticket. 

On Friday, the RCMP had considered charging Mr. Sandulescu with a
weapons offence when a small exacto knife was found in his belongings
after his arrest. But after determining that the man had not intended to
use the knife as a weapon, police didn't lay the charge. 

In court on Monday, Mr. Sandulescu had on the same outfit he was wearing
at his arraignment on Friday - jeans and a black T-shirt emblazoned in
white with the words Scent To Bed. 

Speaking English, he told the court in a barely audible voice that he
never meant to harm anyone. 

His lawyer, Luke Cragg, said Mr. Sandulescu has lived in Canada for 14
years, mostly near Montreal and Hamilton, Ont., and has earned his
living as a freelance graphic artist. 

Outside the courtroom, Mr. Martin said he hasn't been able to confirm
reports that Mr. Sandulescu had tried the same thing at other Canadian
airports. 

He said the only statement his client gave to police was that if
released, "he would continue to try to leave the country, because he had
no money and wanted to leave the country." 

For travellers, Thursday's incident was little more than an
inconvenience. 

After police took Mr. Sandulescu away, security staff cleared the
departure lounge of 80 people waiting to board the three flights. 

Police searched the lounge while security staff screened those people
for a second time. The three flights were delayed briefly. 

Airport officials are continuing their investigation into the incident
but didn't return calls Monday on the progress of the probe.


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