Slovak Supreme Court upholds 20-year sentence for attempted murder

The Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic has upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a 57-year-old man from Snina, Vladimír, who attempted a premeditated murder of his former wife, Katarína.

The incident occurred in late February of last year when the defendant, wearing a mask, broke into his ex-wife's home while she was sleeping. He attempted to suffocate her with a pillow due to his disagreement with their divorce. The victim managed to defend herself by striking the attacker in the head with a lamp, which allowed her to escape and call for help.

Although the defendant denied the charges during the trial, claiming he did not intend to kill her, the Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok found him guilty of attempted premeditated murder. Both the defendant and the prosecutor appealed the initial ruling, but the Supreme Court confirmed the 20-year sentence in the highest security regime.