Man guilty of 'frenzied' stabbing of ex-girlfriend

A man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend 17 times during a "frenzied" attack at the office where she worked has been found guilty of attempted murder.

Carla Skeites was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after the violent assault at 3600 Parkway in Whiteley, Hampshire, on 30 April last year.

Anwar Ashraf, 38, was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. He previously pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife, but denied wanting to kill her.

Ashraf, previously of Southsea, will be sentenced on 5 June.

Giles Bedloe, prosecuting, told the trial that Ashraf became "obsessed" with Skeites and accused her of "cheating" on him, despite the relationship having ended.

Bedloe said Skeites had been preparing for a training presentation at the travel agency where she worked on the morning of the attack.

She received a message that Ashraf was outside the building and had asked to see her at about 09:00 BST.

The prosecutor said after a "brief conversation, she told him to leave her alone and go away", but he "randomly" hugged her and followed her back into the lobby as she tried to move away.

"She was telling him he needed to leave," Bedloe told the court.

"Suddenly he said: 'I have a knife' and showed her a black-handled kitchen knife."

Bedloe said that Skeites later, when describing the attack, said: "Before I knew it, he was stabbing me."

He added: "She asked him to stop but he didn't, then this frenzied attack stopped as soon as it started as other people came to help."

Ashraf was then restrained by members of the public.

A man who kicked his legs to knock him over and blocked his exit described seeing "blood spurting out of her" and Ashraf with blood on his hands.

Another worker, who attempted to administer first aid, said there was a "terrified look" on Skeites' face.

"Carla Skeites was rushed to hospital as she sustained multiple injuries as a result of this frenzied attack, including 17 individual stab wounds," Bedloe said.

The court heard that as Ashraf was detained by police, he asked officers: "What would you do if your partner cheated on you? How would you react?"

Bedloe said: "He admitted what he had done, he said he only wanted to scare her, he didn't want to kill her."

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