A professional kickboxer who was touched by the viral story of a young man who rode a horse to hospital to visit his wife and newborn baby because he could not afford the bus, launched a fundraiser to buy him a house, only for the young man to sell it and buy himself a high-end car with the proceeds.

Romanian kickboxer, former rugby player and reality TV star Catalin Morosanu, 36, was moved by the story of Sergiu Ion Ciobotariu, a young man who was photographed riding a horse to the local maternity hospital to visit his wife and newborn third child because he could not afford public transport in April last year.

After his story went viral, Sergiu was thrown into the media spotlight, and he explained to reporters how he was building a room in which to live with his family.

However, given the young man worked during the day, it was going to take him a long time to get the room ready, prompting Catalin, who had heard of his story, to launch an online fundraiser to buy a house for the man and his family.

Catalin eventually raised EUR 37,000 (GBP 32,170) with which he purchased a house with three rooms and a kitchen for the young man and his family in the commune of Miroslava, close to the city of Iasi.

However, one year on, locals have revealed that Sergiu has since sold the property and returned to the low-income area he previously lived in, but not before buying himself a high-end car.

An anonymous local told local news site Digi Sport “At one point I saw a Golf in the drive, and then I saw a Range Rover”, adding: “Before leaving here, Sergiu threw parties, the garden was full.”

Sergiu had said at the time: “I want to give my children a better future. I want them to have what I don’t have, to learn to read and write.” However, it is unclear what happened to his family in the wake of the sale of their house.

Local media also reported that Sergiu also gained a criminal record by driving his new Volkswagen Golf without a licence.

He has reportedly refused all recent contact from local media.