A former hockey coach, Mohamed Samak, presented a tearful account to police, claiming his wife had fatally stabbed herself. However, a jury later found Samak guilty of murder, determining he had actually stabbed his wife, Joanne, to death.
During a police interview revealed in the BBC documentary "Murder 24/7," Samak, 44, described to detectives how he believed his wife, Joanne, 49, had taken her own life on July 1, 2024, at their home in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. He claimed she expressed being "fed up of life" and "fed up of this" before stabbing herself in the chest and stomach.
Samak, an ex-international hockey player for Egypt and a former coach at Malvern College, broke down during the interview. He told officers he thought his wife was suffering from various issues and wished she could die. He recounted seeing her with a knife and moving back when she told him to leave her alone. When questioned if he was responsible for her injuries, he asked what he was in trouble for, to which an officer replied that his wife had passed away.
Despite his claims, a retrial in October concluded with Samak being found guilty of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. Prosecutors indicated that financial problems and Samak's interest in another woman were contributing factors to the murder.
During his trial, Samak testified that his wife had been struggling with alcohol and mental health issues, and had taken her own life. However, friends and family refuted these claims, stating they had no concerns about Joanne's well-being and that she had positive future plans.
The couple met in 2011 in Egypt and married in 2014. The court heard they had experienced marital difficulties and slept in separate rooms. Samak admitted to reconnecting with another woman and kissing her, an affair he had not disclosed to his wife. Conversely, Joanne had confided in a friend that she no longer loved her husband and wished for a divorce.
Samak's account of the night of the incident described him being woken by a scream and seeing his wife stab herself. However, when he called emergency services over an hour later, he told the handler he found her on the bed with a knife in her stomach after going to check on her. He later explained this discrepancy by stating he panicked and feared being blamed.
Medical experts presented evidence that Joanne sustained six stab wounds, some deep enough to penetrate her breastbone, making self-inflicted injury highly improbable. Additionally, Joanne's blood was discovered on clothing hidden by Samak in his loft. Joanne was reportedly the primary financial provider for the household while Samak struggled with employment.
Joanne's mother, Penny Vale, described her daughter as "irreplaceable" and that her family would "never get over" the loss. Joanne's brother, Mark Vale, characterized her death as "unexpected, sudden, violent and immeasurably cruel."