Every third day, in our #EveryThreeDays campaign, I write about a woman killed by a man. Previously in this campaign, which started on the 2nd of May 2021, I have remembered 115 women, the last being Jill Goldsmith.
Today I remember Zaneta Balazova.
Chronicle Live reported this in May 2016:
A killer savagely stabbed his partner to death in front of their screaming young children after becoming convinced she was a devil trying to poison him. Parvel Cina was severely mentally unwell when he used a knife on Zaneta Balazova 80 times in a frenzied attack.
A court heard the horrendous killing happened in the presence of the couple’s son and daughter, aged just seven and five at the time.
The youngsters have been left highly disturbed by the ordeal of seeing their father kill their loving mother. Cina launched the fatal knife attack just hours after appearing in court for assaulting 23-year-old Zaneta on an earlier occasion. In breach of a restraining order imposed that day, he went to her home in Benwell, Newcastle, and attacked her after seeing she had packed a suitcase and planned to return to the Czech Republic.
Sentencing Cina at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Paul Sloan QC said: “While at the address, you launched a fierce attack upon your partner in the presence of your two children. “You repeatedly stabbed your partner with a knife and repeatedly stamped and kicked her as she lay on the floor.
“The attack continued despite her screams and attempts to defend herself and despite the screams of the children. It’s clear the loss of their mother has had and will continue to have, a devastating effect on the children. They remain distressed and disturbed as a result of what occurred in April last year.”
The court heard Cina had been violent to Zaneta while they were still in the Czech Republic and she told a relative he had threatened to kill her and cut her with a knife. The couple moved to the West End of Newcastle in May 2013 and all appeared well until the start of last year, when Cina started threatening and beating his partner.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court: “The defendant’s father became worried about his mental health. “In January last year he told his father his dead cousin had told him to kill Zaneta and he appeared to be showing signs of paranoia. Cina was taken to the RVI , where he was advised to seek psychological help.
In February last year police were called after another assault by Cina on Zaneta. Mr Perks said: “In the weeks before the killing, she said things were unbearable between her and the defendant, and she spoke of his violent behaviour. “She said he had held a knife to her throat and told her he would kill her.” Cina was given a police caution for common assault on March 2nd, and he began spending time away from the family home on Ladykirk Road, Benwell, living with his parents nearby.
After an incident in which he punched his partner, Zaneta told police how his behaviour had deteriorated.
Mr Perks said: “She said he accused her of trying to poison him with medication or drugs and that he was delusional, believing she was the devil and eating human brains.”
Cina appeared at Magistrates Court on April 2 last year, where he was given a conditional discharge and a restraining order for common assault on Zaneta. Later that day, despite the efforts of his parents to stop him from leaving their home, he fled around 10 pm to go to Zaneta’s home. Mr Perks said: “Both children were present at the address, and once inside the address, the defendant attacked Zaneta with a kitchen knife.
“During the attack, she tried to defend herself but the attack continued despite her screams and the screams of her children.
“She sustained wounds to her heart and had her throat cut by repeated applications of the knife. “The incident was heard by a member of the public in the street, who heard the screams of Zaneta and the children. Through the open door, she could see the defendant stamping down on something on the floor.”
Cina then fled with his young daughter and went to a nearby park. His son ran to his grandparents to get help.
Mr Perks said: “On seeing him the defendant’s father could see the defendant and his daughter were covered in blood. A post mortem revealed Zaneta had sustained 80 knife injuries, including stabs, slashes and scratches. Two wounds would have been fatal, including one that penetrated her heart and cut her jugular vein.
Zaneta Balazova.
#EveryThreeDays
