An Albanian migrant in Vienna who stabbed his ex-girlfriend 42 times with a knife until the blade fell off is standing trial for attempted murder.
The 40-year-old defendant, who has not been named by the Exxpress newspaper, waited in a park in front of his victim’s home in Vienna-Liesing on Oct. 27 last year as he prepared to follow up threats made the day before during which he told her she would not see her next birthday.
“You won’t live to see your birthday on Nov. 5! Your brother will put flowers on your grave,” the public prosecutor told the court as they recounted the defendant’s warning to his 40-year-old victim.
The Vienna regional court on Tuesday heard how the woman was attacked from behind in the courtyard outside her home where she was stabbed 12 times in the neck, face, and back with a knife.
The attack was committed with such force that the blade broke off, prompting the Albanian national to grab a screwdriver and use it to stab her 30 more times.
Despite the brutality of the attack, the woman managed to fight back and free herself. However, her attacker caught up with her as she ran and inflicted further blows on a nearby sidewalk.
Passers-by who saw the attack ran over to the woman causing her attacker to flee.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, and police officers arrested the suspect near to the crime scene.
The victim was hospitalized for two days before being allowed to return home with significant injuries.
In a victim impact statement, the woman explained how the man “didn’t stop” and that she still has recurring nightmares following the attack. She also rarely leaves her apartment alone.
The court heard how the pair had met on Facebook back in 2021 and that the Albanian migrant was already married. They began an affair and the victim was assured multiple times by her boyfriend that he would leave his wife, but after growing tired of broken promises to do so, she ended the relationship.
The court heard how the defendant couldn’t accept the relationship ending and sought revenge. However, he insisted the victim had become jealous and threatened to tell his wife about the affair.
“She wanted to destroy my family,” he told the court.
When questioned about the attack, the defendant denied the charge of attempted murder, insisting he “never intended to kill her” and just wanted to “hurt her a little bit.”
“I aimed at her arms so that I didn’t hit any organs,” he said, while his defense attorney claimed he had only “wanted to teach her a lesson.”
The court is awaiting the verdict.
