Wife's murder a trend 'repeated across country'

Joanne Samak was 49 when she was murdered at her home in Droitwich Spa by her husband

A women's domestic abuse charity has said the murder of a woman at the hands of her husband in Worcestershire is symptomatic of something happening "every week" up and down the country.

Joanne Samak, 49, was stabbed multiple times at her home in Droitwich Spa on 1 July 2024.

During his retrial, her husband Mohammed Samak, an ex-international hockey player, claimed that she had stabbed herself to death, but was convicted of murder at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Sue Coleman, chief executive of West Mercia Women's Aid, said: "This is an awful story to hear of in Worcestershire but it is something that is repeated on a regular basis across the country."

She added: "Unfortunately, at least one woman a week is killed in this country by a partner or an ex-partner."

During the retrial, prosecutors said Samak, 42, an Egyptian national, had killed his wife because he was suffering financial problems and had become interested in another woman.

The stab wounds to Mrs Samak were done with considerable force, which medical experts said would have made it highly unlikely they could have been self-inflicted.

'An enormous task'

In March, the government reiterated its commitment to halving incidents of violence against women and girls in a decade.

Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said: "The government's commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade is not an abstract goal - it is a top priority.

"From embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms to launching new domestic abuse protection orders, we are taking action."

Ms Coleman described the goal as "an enormous task" but added: "It's really reassuring that, that kind of ambitious target has been set.

"We just can't continue to accept violence against women and girls.

"We can't continue to accept that it is somehow permissible in [mens'] heads that they can act in a violent and controlling way towards the women they have claimed to love."

Samak is due to be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Friday.