In Brno, thugs robbed and beat pensioners in their own homes — court upholds sentences

A court in Brno has upheld the sentences handed down in the case of a gang that broke into elderly people's apartments, beat them, and demanded money. According to prosecutors, the criminals targeted mostly pensioners and showed no mercy to their victims — beating them, threatening to kill them, and ransacking their homes in search of cash, jewelry, and documents.

Dušan Čonka struck a plea deal with prosecutor Petr Beišovec: for a series of robberies he will receive 6 years and 7 months in prison, on top of which he will serve another two years for previous crimes. Daniel Horvát agreed to 6.5 years behind bars. Notably, as the terms of the agreement were being read out, Čonka smirked and winked at numerous relatives and acquaintances in the courtroom — among them were school-age children.

What the gang did to pensioners

One of the episodes described by the prosecutor took place in Brno last August: the criminals forced their way into an elderly woman's apartment, repeatedly demanded money from her, struck her, and searched her home. They made off with cash, jewelry, and other valuables, leaving the victim with not only material losses but also physical injuries.

An even more brutal incident took place on 23 August 2025. According to investigators, Čonka and Horvát broke into another pensioner's apartment, knocked her to the floor, threatened to kill her, and demanded money. They stole cash, jewelry, documents, a bank card, and a phone. The woman suffered a serious injury and severe harm to her health in the form of a serious psychological disorder, and the material damage was substantial.

Accomplices and belated apologies

In some of the attacks, the pair was assisted by Barbora Holubová — she agreed to a two-year prison term, to which another ten months will be added for previous offenses. Kristýna Čonková took part in only one episode: she received a suspended sentence, and even outside the courtroom, under the watchful eye of relatives, she rehearsed the apology she would later deliver to the judges.

Čonka, who had been released from prison shortly before the attacks after serving time for earlier offenses, told the court he had been in a "difficult situation" and asked the victims for forgiveness. Horvát, also a seasoned repeat offender — he had already been sentenced to 5.5 years for robbery back in 2019 — offered an equally unconvincing "I'm sorry." Holubová closed the round of contrition by claiming she had acted under the influence of drugs.

The panel of judges, chaired by Miloš Ždárský, approved all the plea agreements. "In our view, the sentences are appropriate," the judge concluded. The prosecutor and all the convicted waived their right to appeal on the spot, so the sentences took legal effect immediately.

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Source: novinky.cz