Man jailed for life over ex-wife's attempted murder at a contact centre in Luton

A man who stabbed his ex-wife and her partner at a family mediation centre in Luton has been jailed for life.

Fatmir Mula, 39, who lives in London, had earlier been convicted at Luton Crown Court of the attempted murder of Elena Melnyk and Nicholas White.

He knifed Ms Melnyk in her armpit and stabbed her boyfriend Nicholas White, who suffered a lacerated liver and a deflated lung.

Mula was ordered to serve a minimum term of 11 years.

The court heard the defendant - a Kosovo national who lives in Newham - went to the Purple Contact Centre in Rothesay Road last July, a place used to facilitate contact between families after relationships have broken down.

Ms Melnyk, who lives in Bedfordshire, was waiting in the office when she was given the message her ex-husband wanted to speak to her, a jury was told.

He appeared in the doorway and the centre manager ushered them into a kitchen area where Mula suddenly produced a kitchen knife from his rucksack.

After stabbing his ex-wife in the armpit, he stabbed Mr White twice in the chest and once in the neck, injuring him so badly he had to be airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Mula ran away from the centre by climbing out of a window, but was arrested the following day.

He denied two counts of attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon, but the jury found him guilty.

He was given life sentences for both counts of attempted murder, both to run concurrently.

Passing sentence, Judge Richard Foster said he posed "a significant risk of inflicting serious harm on others, in particular future partners".

In an impact statement, Ms Melnyk said: "I know if he comes out he will be looking for me and finish what he started... that burden will be with me for the rest of my life."