Man gets nine years for attacks on elderly

New immigrant Roman Simondayev convicted of violently robbing four women in order to buy drugs.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday morning sentenced Roman Simondayev, 45, to nine years in jail for the robbery and assault of four elderly women. Simondayev confessed to the charges and the indictment served came as part of a plea bargain. The 45-year-old, who had a criminal record for drug offenses, was convicted of stealing the women's wallets, assaulted them and causing them grievous bodily harm. Simondayev, a new immigrant, said that he attacked the women and took their possessions in order to buy drugs. The court's verdict read: "The accused took advantage of the frailty of these elderly women in order to take their assets." The first offense occurred on July 12, 2007 in which an elderly woman, 81, left a Bank Hapoalim branch in Rehovot carrying her purse. Simondayev approached her, grabbed her purse, lifted her wallet from it and fled the scene. He was caught and the wallet was returned to the woman. Simondayev was arrested but released on bail. Two days thereafter, the attacker entered the flat of a 74-year-old woman in Rehovot. Simondayev grabbed hold of her and demanded she give him money. When she responded that she didn't have any, he pulled her hair, threw her to the floor and dragged her into the middle of the room. Eventually, the woman gave him 20 NIS. But Simondayev wasn't satisfied. He emptied her purse onto the floor, demanded the keys to the apartment, took her camera and a checkbook and left the scene. The following day, Simondayev attacked a 75-year-old woman in Lod after she entered an elevator in her apartment building. He ran after her, got in the elevator and pressed the buttons for the 4th and 5th floors. When the elevator doors closed, he turned to the woman, demanded she hand over her purse and started to pull it away from her. When the woman resisted, Simondayev pulled her hair and grabbed her purse while pushing her to the floor. When his victim screamed, Simondayev put his hand over her mouth. She proceeded to bite his fingers, after which he threw her to the floor of the elevator where she hit her head, injuring her hand and her neck.