The daughter’s bravery stopped the jealous father from stabbing his wife to death

An alcoholic, domineering and jealous man who tried to stab his wife to death in front of their young daughter has been locked up for years. Petrit Zefi, 44, of Station Road, Bugle, near St Austell, was found guilty of one count of attempted murder during a two-day trial last week.

Appearing at Truro Crown Court for sentencing today (Friday 17 May), Judge Robert Linford told the Albanian national there was no doubt that had it not been for the intervention of his own daughter and her boyfriend, he would have killed his wife Natalie during the attack. on November 11 last year.

The trial heard that Zefi, who first entered the UK illegally in 2000 on a lorry from France before moving to the Birmingham area, was such a controlling man that he forbade mother-of-four Natalie their children, have her own phone or go anywhere alone. It should be right in the car with her to school when the kids were younger.

You can read our coverage of the trial here:

Zefi also controlled any money he received from state aid and a small furniture refurbishing business they ran together. The court was told that on November 11 last year, while staying at family friend Katie Cook’s home in Newquay, Zefi closed the door to the room Katie and her daughter Hanna were in before heading to the bedroom where Natalie and their little one. daughter Lola were.

Zefi entered the room, closed the door behind him, first grabbing a very sharp knife from the kitchen, then pounced on his wife as she lay on the bed with their six-year-old daughter. He stabbed his wife once in the top of the head, causing the tip of the knife to break off and embed itself in her skull, then stabbed her again in the top of the head. Natalie raised her arm in self-defense and Zefi stabbed her in the left wrist.

Click here to join CornwallLive on WhatsApp and we’ll send you breaking news and top stories straight to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and advertising from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out anytime you want. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

As Natalie screamed, her daughter Hanna came in with Katie and they tried to pull Zefi away from his wife and disarm him. Zefi dropped the knife and ran from the property shouting “he’s cheating on me” and was later arrested by police outside a nearby pub.

Judge Linford told Zefi he had no doubt Natalie owed her life to the gallant and brave intervention of their daughter Hanna and Katie who managed to disarm him.

Ramsay Quaife, defending, said there were some mitigating factors in Zefi’s favor as it was not a premeditated attack but a spontaneous act and he suffered from a mental disorder and learning difficulties. Mr Quaife said Zefi had written to Judge Linford to express his remorse.

He added: “He had a difficult and deprived upbringing in Albania. He lost both his parents. He served in the army in Albania and fought in Kosovo, whether he liked it or not. He provided for his family financially. This was not a premeditated attack.”

Sentencing Zefi to 15 years in prison, including two-thirds before he is eligible for parole, Judge Linford said: “You’ve had your fill of alcohol again. And by your own admission, he took cocaine. What happened was spontaneous. Your daughter. I saw you walk past her room and into the kitchen twice. You chose a knife and took it to the room where your wife was.

“When you picked up the knife, you knew what you were going to do. You launched this murderous attack on your wife and stabbed her twice in the head and the tip of the blade broke off and became lodged in her skull, where it remains today. .

“Your daughter and her friend entered the room. In an act of amazing gallantry and bravery, they subdued and disarmed you. If he hadn’t, there’s no doubt you would have killed your wife. You ran away and were arrested by the police. later.

“This incident occurred in a domestic context while you were under the influence of alcohol and drugs while a young child was present. You were irrationally convinced that your wife was having an affair when she wasn’t. You made some threats against her. You acknowledge in your letter where you went wrong and expressed a desire to change.