Who is Viorel Ion and how long did he get for stabbing his landlord?

A new Channel 5 documentary is examining the story of a tenant who brutally attacked his landlord in the neck with a large pair of scissors.

Viorel Ion stabbed the restaurant worker after the dispute. Here’s what we know about him and the crime he committed.

Who is Viorel Ion?

Viorel Ion, from Scunthorpe, admitted wounding his landlord with intent with scissors on the afternoon of April 6, 2024.

The tenant stabbed the restaurant worker in the neck following an argument over an electricity meter.

The victim sustained potentially life-threatening injuries and is said to now speak with a harsh tone, which makes it difficult for others to understand him.

During the trial at Grimsby Crown Court, prosecutor Nick Peacock presented CCTV footage capturing the violent clash between Ion and the landlord.

“There was no bad blood between them initially until they fell out over the innocuous reason of electricity supply,” Mr Peacock stated.

The dispute began when the landlord requested to inspect the electricity meter, but Ion refused, growing irate and accusing the landlord of entering his flat to steal belongings.

The landlord denied this, leading to a heated confrontation on the street.

Mr Peacock recounted the defendant’s threatening words to the landlord: “I could kill you. Prison is like a holiday to me.”

Later, after running an errand, the landlord returned to find Ion outside his business premises.

Having been drinking in the street, Ion demanded £200 from the landlord for a new mobile phone.

The landlord observed that Ion was holding a large pair of scissors and making stabbing motions with them.

Despite the landlord’s attempt to walk away, Ion positioned himself behind him.

A staff member tried, without success, to convince Ion to relinquish the scissors.

Instead, the prosecutor noted, he slipped them into his back pocket.

Children should not have to see such horrible things happen.

Statement read in court

Mr Peacock described how the situation escalated further.

The landlord struck Ion in the face, prompting Ion to retaliate by pulling the scissors from his pocket and stabbing the landlord in the neck.

The young son of a staff member witnessed the brutal attack.

In a statement read to the court, she said: “Children should not have to see such horrible things happen.”

The landlord was rushed to Scunthorpe’s accident and emergency ward, where medics treated a two-centimetre wound to his jugular, perilously close to his carotid artery.

The prosecutor relayed the surgeon’s assessment that the injury was “potentially life-threatening” and that it was fortunate the wound hadn’t gone deeper.

The victim was later moved to Hull Royal Infirmary, where he noted that a fistula, a channel between two cavities, had thankfully formed, aiding his survival.

According to the surgeon’s report, the patient’s prognosis is positive.

However, the victim shared the lasting impact of the attack, describing a prominent scar he feels compelled to conceal due to its appearance.

He explained that speaking for extended periods causes pain, and his voice, now harsh-sounding, is difficult for others to comprehend.

How long did he get for stabbing his landlord?

Ion voluntarily went to Scunthorpe police station, where authorities first arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder.

The charge was subsequently amended to wounding with intent.

The case is now being covered in a Channel 5 documentary called Police: Suspect No 1.

The documentary explores the methods used by police officers and detectives as they navigate the complexities of gathering undeniable evidence, conducting interviews, and employing strategies to elicit confessions from guilty parties.

The show synopsis reads: “A Scunthorpe restaurant worker is stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors in broad daylight, and while the attacker flees into a residential area, the victim is rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“Police discover the victim knew the attacker and soon recover the bloodied scissors from the suspect's house – but as the net closes in, the case takes a surprising turn as witnesses suggest the victim may not have been acting in self-defence.”;

Watch Police: Suspect No 1 on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 9pm on Channel 5.