Zef Gjoni, 28, attacked his wife with two knives at their Thornton Heath home around 4 a.m. on 1 April 2020 after realising she had taken her phone to the bathroom and contacted a family member.
Gjoni had just stopped her from contacting her mother in Romania.
The victim had at least 17 discernible stab wounds and a collapsed lung.
Gjoni was sentenced to 19 years in prison and five years on extended licence at Croydon Crown Court today (Friday, June 10, 2022). Following a trial in the same court, he was found guilty of one count of attempted murder.
During the attack, Gjoni covered the victim’s head with a duvet and asked, “Have you not died yet?” The victim begged Gjoni to pull over and call an ambulance.
When he finally dialled 911, he explained to the operator that he and his wife had an argument and she had stabbed herself in the heart two or three times.
When police and paramedics arrived, the victim was able to tell them through a Romanian interpreter that Gjoni had inflicted the injuries. He was apprehended on the spot.
This was a senseless and violent attack inside a marital home,” CPS spokesperson Thea Viney said.
Zef Gjoni armed himself with two kitchen knives before launching an unprovoked attack on his own wife simply because she wanted to communicate with her family.” The victim, who has since fled the country, considers himself fortunate to be alive.
During an interview with police, Gjoni stated that the Coronavirus lockdown had upset his wife because she was separated from her family in Romania.” He claimed she had been cutting herself in the bathroom, but the jury saw right through this obvious lie.
“Medical evidence and statements from the victim, who had to spend two weeks in the hospital recovering from her stab wounds, were included in the prosecution case.”
“The CPS is completely committed to ensuring justice for domestic abuse victims and will always prosecute these cases where there is sufficient evidence.”
