Overview
- Worcester Crown Court sentenced the 43-year-old on October 31 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years and 247 days, reflecting 483 days already spent on remand.
- Jurors heard Joanne Samak, 49, was stabbed six times, including a forceful blow through the breastbone into her heart that the judge said caused her death.
- Samak waited roughly an hour before calling 999 and admitted he did not perform CPR despite being trained, which the judge said showed an attempt to cover up the killing.
- Prosecutors argued he was under financial strain and interested in another woman, and police later found Joanne’s blood on clothing he had hidden in the loft during the second trial.
- The unanimous guilty verdict followed an earlier jury’s failure to reach a decision, with victim impact statements from Joanne’s family and West Mercia Police welcoming the sentence.