A Ukrainian war veteran has been jailed for 12 years for the attempted murder of his ex-partner in Banna two years ago.
51-year-old Hryhorii Sryotenko, formerly of the Banna Beach Holiday Homes outside Ardfert, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his former partner at the holiday homes on January 13th, 2024.
The court heard Mr Sryotenko burst into his partner’s bedroom and stabbed her 15 times.
In her victim impact statement delivered in February, Viktoria Pavlenko described how she awoke to find her "jealous" ex-partner pinning her down and demanding to be told "the truth" about her "lover" before trying to murder her.
The pair had been together but separated two months before the attack, although they still lived in the same house.
She said Hryhorii Sryotenko had mad eyes, and she didn’t know how many times she was stabbed; she had 15 stab wounds on her face, neck, and body when she was brought to hospital, after his son heard her screaming and came in to save her.
Sentencing Mr Sryotenko, Mr Justice David Keane said that despite the "exemplary stoicism" and resilience of the victim Viktoriia Pavlenko, it was clear she had experienced "a truly horrific attack" at the hands of the defendant, who inflicted life-threatening and disfiguring injuries on her.
He noted the aggravating factors included the severity of the victim's injuries, the past intimate relationship between them, the fact the offence was committed within the home, and that he had armed himself with a long kitchen knife.
He said Mr Sryotenko’s guilty plea was the most significant mitigating factor.
Mr Justice Keane noted Mr Sryotenko had served in the Ukrainian army, claimed he was psychologically damaged during military service and had come to Ireland in 2022 to escape the war.
The court heard he has a wife in Ukraine who was not aware of the crime, or of his intimate relationship with Ms Pavlenko.
Mr Justice Keane sentenced him to 14 years in prison with the final two years suspended, and it was also backdated to January 2024 when he first entered custody.
Previously in his plea in mitigation, defence counsel Mark Nicholas SC said his client had developed an unshakeable and incorrect belief Ms Pavlenko was being unfaithful to him.
