MAN JAILED FOR STABBING EX-WIFE AND HER MALE FRIEND IN JEALOUS RAGE
A man from east London who assaulted his former partner and her male friend out of jealousy has been sentenced to prison.Umit Hayta, 39, from Dagenham, was given an 18-year sentence at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, with an additional three-year extended licence.
The court was told that Hayta and his wife had been together for 15 years until she filed for divorce in October 2019.
On February 21, she invited a 24-year-old man to her home in Homerton.
The two had only known each other for about two months and exchanged phone numbers that afternoon.
After about 15 minutes, they heard loud banging at the front door.
The woman tried to hold it shut as Hayta, aged 39, began kicking it in.
He eventually broke into the house and launched an attack on the young man immediately.
His ex-wife pleaded with him to stop as the assault took place.
While Hayta was attacking the man, she told her two young children to run out of the house, which they did.
She then escaped to a neighbour’s house where her children had taken shelter.
The male victim ran to a nearby shop where he worked.
There, he told a colleague, “Shut the door, he’s going to kill me,” prompting a call to emergency services.
Recognising the seriousness of his injuries, the colleague drove the victim straight to an east London hospital.
He required urgent surgery for 18 stab wounds and a brain bleed, which doctors considered life-threatening.
Medical staff mentioned that without immediate intervention, he could have died from his injuries.
The attack left him with lasting injuries, including neurological and emotional difficulties that will require years of treatment, police stated.
Hayta’s ex-partner was injured with cuts to her back and legs while trying to stop the assault.
He fled the crime scene, returned home, and called the police.
He disclosed his identity and admitted to stabbing both victims.
Police arrested Hayta at his residence, where they found blood-stained clothing and footwear.
He was formally charged on February 23 with attempted murder and two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.
Hayta pleaded guilty and was convicted.
A victim impact statement from the male victim’s cousin described him as kind and well-loved, emphasising the violence and impact of the stabbing.
Despite surviving surgery after being stabbed 18 times and being in a coma, he now faces serious cognitive and behavioural impairments, and his life is forever changed.
The cousin expressed disbelief at the violence, noting it was unprovoked and that the victim did nothing to deserve such cruelty.
He described how the attack devastated their family, with his parents in immense pain.
The statement acknowledged the victim’s survival but recounted his ongoing struggles with mental and physical health, his days in hospital beds, and his current rehabilitation for brain injury.
His entire life, hopes, and ambitions have been fundamentally altered.
Hayta’s ex-partner also gave a victim statement, stating she never thought he would harm her.
She described her injuries as life-threatening but healed, and admitted to feeling guilt and ongoing trauma.
She condemned the attack as unacceptable, emphasising its permanent impact on her, Hayta’s, and their children’s lives.
