Swindon: 'Obsessive' man 'tried to cut girlfriend's throat'

Sezwin Crasto is on trial at Bristol Crown Court

An "obsessively jealous" man cut his girlfriend's throat when she attempted to break up with him, a court has heard.

Sezwin Crasto, 23, left Cheryl Barretto begging for her life when he attacked her at his home on Broad Street in Swindon on 21 March 2022.

Surgeons battled for four hours to save her, and she has been left with permanent scarring from the attack.

Mr Crasto, who is on trial at Bristol Crown Court, denies attempted murder.

He accepts causing the injuries to Miss Barretto and admits a lesser charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, the jury have been told.

On the first day of trial on Monday, the jury heard Mr Crasto and the victim had met at college in 2019, and entered a romantic relationship in 2021.

He had become increasingly jealous and controlling, the court heard, particularly after she left home to take up a place at university.

Mr Crasto would often turn up at her student accommodation unannounced after a disagreement, and "obsessively" monitor her social media activity.

He had twice assaulted her - once by slapping and once by biting - following rows about adding male friends on social media, the court heard.

'Last day on the planet'

David Scutt, prosecuting, told the jury the victim had returned to Swindon on the day of the attack to renew her passport.

She arranged to meet Mr Crasto at 18:00 BST in a park to try to break up with him, because he was refusing to accept the relationship was over from phone calls and texts.

But instead, the defendant turned up at her house at 16:30 BST and dragged her to his own home on Broad Street.

He shouted at her and accused her friends of ruining their relationship and when she stood up to try to leave he knocked her to the floor and attacked her with a knife.

In a police interview, the victim said she believed "this is my last day on the planet" as she lay on her back.

"I just remember him doing something to my throat," she said

"The air was coming out (of the injury) and the blood was flowing. I just wanted him to stop but my voice was gone."

She described holding her hands in a "begging" position to Mr Crasto because she was unable to speak.

It was the defendant's father who tried to pull him off the victim and made him call the emergency services.

'Obsessively jealous'

While in custody at Gablecross Police Station, the defendant asked about a poster on healthy relationships, the jury were told.

When asked why, he replied: "I just think I need it."

He later wrote a note reading: "My anger which I am scared of - most dangerous in the world."

It continued: "Why did you take me lightly" and "I was burning into flames".

Mr Scutt said the note was "not a defence and not an excuse".

He continued: "The relationship... was one that was not equal - the defendant was obsessively jealous of Miss Barretto and tried to control her contact with her friends both male and female.

"The assault on Cheryl was particularly determined, to cause the injury to her throat, the surgeon will tell you, he must have used something like a sawing motion."

The trial, which is expected to last for one week, continues.

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