Admin l Saturday, February 11, 2017
OLD BAILEY, London, United Kingdom – A man, Petar Petrov, 31 has been jailed for plotting to murder after brutally assaulting his pregnant fiancée.
Petrov, 31 a Bulgarian national of Densworth Grove, N9 was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 10 February, to 21 years’ imprisonment for the attempted murder of the 30-year-old woman.
The attack on the woman, who was eight months pregnant at the time, took place at their home on Friday, 5 August last year.
Petrov was also given an extended license of five years and issued with a European Protection Order preventing him from ever entering the country in the EU where the victim resides.
He previously pleaded guilty to the offence on Wednesday, 11 January at the same court. The judge also commended a witness whose bravery at the time of the incident, he said, had saved the life of the victim and her unborn child. This witness was also given a Sheriff’s reward of £500.
Detective Inspector Christopher Skelt of Enfield Police Community Safety Unit said:
“The severity of the sentence handed to Petrov today reflects the seriousness of this offence. This has been a truly shocking case. It is incomprehensible to think that a father-to-be could carry out such a violent and horrific attack on his partner when she was eight months pregnant with their baby.
“I am very pleased the judge commended the bravery of Mr Kerry Keogh who found and helped the victim at the scene following her ordeal. I personally would like to also commend all the members of the public who were first at this distressing scene, and who performed first aid on the injured parties and called the emergency services. Their quick actions were crucial in getting the victim the medical attention she needed, saving the mother and unborn child’s lives.
“Sadly the mother remains in a persistent vegetative state with virtually no chance of recovery. Thankfully her child was born without any physical injuries via caesarean section however; unfortunately, this child is likely to never know his parents.
“Enfield Borough Community Safety Unit conducted a thorough investigation that led to Petrov’s guilty plea. This meant that the members of the public who were witnesses were not required to give evidence forcing them to relive the terrible events of that day.
“Petrov has never revealed the motive behind his shocking attack. Cases like this lead me to re-iterate to anyone who is either in or knows a person in a relationship suffering abuse, to report it to police.”
At approximately 20:00hrs on Friday, 5 August 2016, neighbours reported hearing loud shouting and arguing which lasted for around an hour. One local resident recalled hearing a man shouting followed by a bang.
A member of the public found Petrov who appeared to look unresponsive lying on the floor. The member of the public assumed he had been thrown through the first-floor window as he was surrounded by glass. Petrov also had knife wounds to his body. The member of public provided first aid and called police.
When other neighbours came to help, the man who provided first aid to Petrov entered the flat to check on the welfare of any other occupants and found the victim lying on the floor with injuries to her head and neck. It was at this point that he discovered she was heavily pregnant and he immediately began first aid.
She was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries including several facial fractures, severe bruising of the lungs and a stab wound to the face. The victim was treated in intensive care and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Due to the victim’s condition and in order to save the baby’s life, doctors performed an emergency caesarean section and the baby was born prematurely, but with no physical injuries, on 9 August.
Petrov was found with injuries consistent with falling from a height and self-inflicted wounds. He was taken to an east London hospital for treatment and subsequently arrested. After being discharged from hospital Petrov was taken to an east London police station and was charged as above on Monday, 8 August.
