MAN JAILED FOR STALKING AND HAMMER ATTACK
A man aged 41 has been sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of stalking a woman and assaulting her husband with a hammer.Svilen Borisov received a four-year term for causing injury and for stalking with a threat of violence, as court proceedings at Worcester Crown Court concluded yesterday.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning a verdict of guilty on both charges through unanimous agreement.
An indefinite restraining order will prohibit Borisov from contacting his victims once he is released from custody.
He was acquitted of a sexual assault alleged to have happened on October 19 last year, as well as an assault by beating on October 20, 2020.
The stalking stretched from May 5, 2019, until October 22 the following year.
During the trial, the male victim of the hammer attack testified that he warned his wife’s stalker to stay away just prior to being struck.
The incident took place in Evesham last October, reportedly following Borisov’s two-year obsession with the man’s wife.
The husband portrayed Borisov, once considered a family friend, as initially 'normal and friendly,' until his wife revealed certain concerning behaviour.
During questioning from prosecutor Peter McCartney, the husband told the court that on October 22 he responded to his wife’s call to meet at her workplace, where he saw Borisov in the car park.
He recounted asking Borisov what his issue was, as he felt Borisov was pressuring his wife and children.
Borisov allegedly responded that there was 'no problem' because 'she was asking for it.' The two then engaged physically on the ground before parting ways.
The husband claimed to have tried walking away, but then heard Borisov say, 'hit me now and I will show you'.
Turning around, he saw Borisov holding a hammer and was struck on the head.
The weapon then fell, and Borisov’s hand became caught in a van door, which was the origin of the hammer.
Following the attack, the pair separated, and the husband went to see his wife.
It was also disclosed that the woman, whose identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons, alleges her harassment began at her child's party in May 2018 and continued until the incident involving the hammer.
Borisov, residing on St Margarets Road, Evesham, testified in court last Thursday.
During cross-examination, prosecutor McCartney referenced numerous messages Borisov sent to the woman, including ones asking her to 'call me, I need to hear your voice.' The court considered whether these messages demonstrated obsessive tendencies and why Borisov did not interpret them as signs to stop contacting her.
Borisov argued he did not believe the messages indicated obsession, claiming his intent was to discuss allegations that he was a drug dealer and related business matters.
He also denied calling the woman offensive names or saying he wanted to 'smash' her.
Concerning the attack with the hammer, Borisov claimed that his husband was actually the aggressor, initiating the fight by removing his fleece.
"I was in fear, I was scared," he said.
