A jealous ex with an 'obsession' for true crime cases tried to murder his former partner in a horrific attack in her own home. The woman called 999 and shouted 'he's stabbing me' as Moven Kajese thrusted a knife towards her stomach. He was so 'fixated' on attacking her he did not react when police arrived minutes after the emergency call, and continued to try and stab her, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
Police arrival saved her life
The victim later said she believed that the timeliness of the police's arrival to her home in Ashton-under-Lyne saved her life. “If the police didn’t come the time they did, I would be dead,” she added.
Prosecutors told how the pair had previously been in a 'long term' relationship. The woman claimed Kajese had become 'increasingly controlling of her movements, and jealous and suspicious of her'. He would accuse her of infidelity, and she found it hard to leave him because of her 'culture'. The victim said she believed people would have felt that if he had been unfaithful, it was 'probably because she had pushed him into it by something she had done'.
Threats and control
She claimed Kajese threatened her when she began to show some independence, and told her 'I'm going to f*** you up so bad'. She asked him to leave the house, but 'reluctantly' allowed him to remain when he told her he had nowhere else to go. The victim said she felt 'trapped' and felt the situation worsened last Christmas. She said Kajese told her she could not go out with friends and that if she left the house he would 'f*** her up really bad'.
Prosecuting, Chloe Fordham said Kajese told the woman's parents she had been sleeping with other men. They met up with the pair to 'get to the bottom of what was happening'. Ms Fordham said: “At that meeting, the defendant told the story of a Zimbabwean politician who was alleged to have stabbed his wife to death after she had been unfaithful to him. [The victim's] mother took this as a threat towards [her daughter], and told the defendant that he should leave. “[The victim] said that the defendant continued his behaviour towards her and also developed an obsession with true crime dramas involving real life murder cases.”
The attack
The court heard how on the night of the attack, Kajese dropped the woman off at a friend's party. She returned home in a taxi at 7pm with a friend of Kajese, who had also been at the party. They began having a conversation about their relationship in the presence of the friend. The woman told Kajese she no longer wanted to be with him. He called her a 'wh*re' and threw a glass towards her, which missed. The friend went to leave, but the woman 'begged' them to stay. “Please don't go, because I think he's gonna kill me,” she pleaded. The friend 'insisted' on leaving. The victim warned Kajese that she would call 999 if he didn't leave the house.
As she was on the phone, Kajese launched his attack and began stabbing her in the stomach. At one point the knife broke and he began to stamp on and kick her head. Kajese went to the kitchen and found a pair of scissors to continue stabbing her. As the police arrived, they heard 'harrowing, blood curdling' screaming. After gaining entry they found Kajese standing over his victim. He 'did not react at all' when police arrived, Ms Fordham said. One of the attending officers said Kajese to be 'fixated on dealing as many blows and as much damage to the female'. Police subdued him and administered emergency first aid to the woman. She suffered serious injuries.
Sentencing
As she was treated at Manchester Royal Infirmary, she told an officer: “If the police didn’t come the time they did I would be dead. He repeatedly kicked and stamped on my head. He stabbed me many times, I was so scared.” Kajese pleaded guilty to attempted murder. His barrister Benjamin Knight said: “He is fully accepting of the horror of what he has done.” Mr Knight said that prior to the attack, the defendant had been looking for new accommodation. He said that Kajese has completed a number of rehabilitative courses while in prison on remand.
Judge Maurice Greene sentenced Kajese to an extended sentence for public protection, branding him a 'dangerous' offender. Kajese was told he would serve two-thirds of a 16 year sentence in prison. He was also told he would be on licence for an additional five years after release. A restraining order banning Kajese from contacting his victim was imposed, to last indefinitely.
