By a correspondent
A Zimbabwean man living in Manchester, United Kingdom, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the attempted murder of his former partner after carrying out a frenzied knife attack at her home.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Moven Kajese repeatedly stabbed the Zimbabwean woman despite her desperate 999 emergency call and continued trying to attack her even after police officers arrived at the scene.
The case was heard at Minshull Street Crown Court, where prosecutors said the victim’s life was saved by the rapid response of emergency services.
“If the police didn’t come when they did, I would be dead,” the woman told the court.
Prosecutors said Kajese and the victim had been in a long-term relationship that had become increasingly abusive.
The woman told the court Kajese had become controlling, jealous and suspicious, frequently accusing her of infidelity. She said she found it difficult to leave the relationship because of cultural pressures and fears of being blamed for his behaviour.
According to the prosecution, Kajese threatened her as she became more independent, telling her: “I’m going to f*** you up so bad.”
Although she asked him to move out, she reluctantly allowed him to stay after he claimed he had nowhere else to go.
The victim said the abuse escalated around Christmas, with Kajese allegedly forbidding her from seeing friends and threatening to seriously assault her if she left the house.
Prosecutor Chloe Fordham told the court Kajese also contacted the woman’s parents, accusing her of having affairs with other men.
Her parents organised a meeting to discuss the allegations.
During that meeting, Kajese reportedly referred to a Zimbabwean politician alleged to have stabbed his wife to death over infidelity. The victim’s mother interpreted the comments as a threat against her daughter and demanded that Kajese leave.
Fordham also told the court that Kajese had developed an obsession with true crime television programmes based on real-life murder cases.
On the night of the attack, Kajese drove the woman to a friend’s party before bringing her home later that evening with a mutual friend.
While discussing the future of their relationship in front of the friend, the woman told Kajese she no longer wanted to be with him.
He allegedly called her a “whore” and threw a glass at her, which missed.
As the mutual friend prepared to leave, the victim pleaded: “Please don’t go, because I think he’s going to kill me.”
The friend nevertheless left.
Moments later, as the woman warned Kajese she would call 999 unless he left the house, he launched the attack.
The court heard Kajese stabbed her repeatedly in the stomach with a knife. When the weapon broke, he kicked and stamped on her head before fetching a pair of scissors from the kitchen and continuing the assault.
Police officers who arrived within minutes reported hearing “harrowing, blood-curdling” screams.
When they entered the house, officers found Kajese standing over the victim and continuing the attack.
Fordham said Kajese “did not react at all” to the officers’ presence.
One police officer told the court Kajese appeared “fixated on dealing as many blows and as much damage to the female as possible.”
Officers eventually restrained him and administered emergency first aid before the victim was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.
While receiving treatment, she told officers: “If the police didn’t come when they did I would be dead. He repeatedly kicked and stamped on my head. He stabbed me many times. I was so scared.”
Kajese pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
His defence lawyer, Benjamin Knight, said his client fully accepted responsibility for the attack and had completed several rehabilitation courses while in custody awaiting trial.
Sentencing him, Judge Maurice Greene described Kajese as a “dangerous” offender and imposed an extended 16-year prison sentence for public protection.
Kajese must serve two-thirds of his sentence before becoming eligible for release and will remain on licence for a further five years.
The judge also imposed an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
