An Egyptian hockey coach who stabbed his wife six times and claimed she had taken her own life has been jailed for at least 21 years for her murder.
Mohamed Samak, 43, told a jury his wife Joanne Samak, 49, had stabbed herself in the chest and stomach after he woke up at around 3am on July 1 last year at their home in Droitwich Spa in the West Midlands.
But he was found guilty of murder on Wednesday after a retrial. The jury at his first trial, earlier this year, had failed to reach a verdict,
Prosecutors at Worcester Crown Court said Samak, a former Egyptian international hockey player and coach who worked with the Wales under-18s team, killed his wife because he was suffering financial problems and had become interested in another woman.
The defendant claimed during the trial that his wife stabbed herself and was struggling with alcohol and mental health problems.
But friends and family said they had no concerns about her and she had things to look forward to.
Jailing him for life on Friday, Judge James Burbidge KC said Samak’s actions were “wicked beyond comprehension” and he had destroyed the lives of Joanne’s family.
He said: “The emotion you disclose is either feigned or emotion based on self-pity. I cannot accept you are remorseful because you still deny responsibility and put Jo’s loved ones through the trauma of two trials.
“You sought to besmirch her name by saying she drank to excess and was not in control of her mental faculties. Nothing could have been further from the truth.”
Wiping away tears, Joanne’s mother Penny Vale told the court her family and friends will “never get over” the loss of the “irreplaceable” interior designer, who was looking forward to starting a new job and celebrating her 50th birthday.
“She had everything to live for. As her mum, I am utterly heartbroken and not a day goes by where I don’t think of Jo and cry,” said Ms Vale.
“She was my baby. I watched her grow into a beautiful, confident, caring adult. We have had to listen to false allegations about her character and lifestyle.
“The truth is very different to the story that has been told. She was a hardworking and devoted mother.”
The trial heard the couple met in 2011 when Joanne stayed at the hotel in Taba, Egypt, where Samak worked in entertainment.
The couple would make regular trips to see each other before they married in 2014 and settled together in Worcestershire.
But they had suffered issues in their 10-year marriage and slept in separate bedrooms.
Samak had admitted he had rekindled contact with a woman from France who he had met in 2009.
Joanne had also confided in a friend that she did not love her husband and wished she could divorce him.
Samak claimed he was woken up by a scream from his wife and went out on to the landing at their home to see her stabbing herself.
But he called the emergency services at 4.10am, more than an hour after neighbours say they heard a 10-second scream.
He told the call handler he had gone to the bathroom and decided to check on his wife, and found her slumped on the bed with a knife in her stomach.
Samak told the trial he had lied at first because he panicked and feared he would be blamed for her injuries.
The call handler told him to start CPR but he admitted he did not, despite being trained in the procedure and having a first aid kit in his bedroom.
The judge said Samak had the presence of mind to reinforce his “frankly wicked” story that Joanne had taken her own life by hiding bloodstained clothing in the loft – items which were only found by police during his second trial.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
