Husband stabbed wife 'all over her body', Smethwick attempted murder trial told

Dan Draghici attacked wife Elena Georgeta Draghici while their eight-year-old daughter was upstairs with Elena's sister, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The victim cried out for her sister, Nicoleta Gheorghe, who ran downstairs and 'very bravely jumped on him and managed to disarm him," said Mr Anthony Warner, prosecuting.

The sisters fled the house in Fenton Street, Smethwick, and got help from two passing taxi drivers, it was heard. By the time the emergency services arrived, Elena was slipping in and out of consciousness and had 'life-threatening injuries'.

At Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham she received emergency surgery and had to have a drain put in her lung to stop it filling with blood. She had a wound to her armpit, as well as to the front of her chest, head, scalp, neck, back and leg. She also had defensive wounds to her hands and arms.

Draghici was later found by police in his car with the engine running and their daughter in the front seat, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The 42-year-old, of Fenton Street, denies attempting to murder his wife and wounding with intent on March 2, as well as assaulting her sister Nicoleta Gheorghe. He also denies assaulting his wife in the days leading up to March 2.

Mr Warner told jurors yesterday the couple had been married since 2009. He said: "It was not a happy relationship. From quite early on he was becoming very controlling of her. He wouldn't let her meet up with other people and he would check up on her at work."

Before the alleged stabbing at around 10.30pm, Draghici had gone to pick up his wife from work at the 2 Sisters Chicken Factory in Smethwick.

However on arriving home, he decided to stay in the car saying that he was going to listen to music. He proceeded to come back into the house on several occasions.

Mr Warner said: "The last time that he came in she noticed that he was uncharacteristically calm. This was not the sort of mood that she was used to him being in. She had also noticed that he had some white powder on the screen of his phone."

Draghici's daughter and sister-in-law were in the room but he got them to leave by saying that the young girl was cold , the court heard.

Mr Warner said: "This was the cue for him to initiate his attack on Elena with a knife. The knife was not one which they had in the house. He had bought it that day, in a shop in Smethwick called Pound Plus.

"He started to stab her all over her body."

The trial continues.