Surgeon recounts horrifying injuries Swindon woman suffered from Stanley knife attack

The university student, who has asked to remain anonymous, was attacked at a terraced house in Broad Street in March, causing her life-threatening injuries that required four hours of emergency surgery.

She claims her “jealous” boyfriend, Sezwin Crasto, attacked her with a Stanley knife after she tried to end their relationship.

She said she got to her knees and clasped her hands to beg for her life after the attack.

READ MORE: Swindon man allegedly slashed girlfriend's throat with Stanley knife

Recounting the experience in a police interview shown to jurors, she said she thought “is it actually my last day?” and was unable to speak.

“I was trying so hard to talk,” she told officers. “I don’t want to end my life like that.”

The alleged victim, who was left with severe wounds to her throat and lacerations to her face and wrist, had previously explained how she had returned to Swindon for an appointment, and arranged to meet with 21-year-old Crasto to end the relationship.

Knowing what was coming, the defendant said ‘just tell me where you are or I will find you’, and went to her house.

Sezwin Crasto. Photo: Facebook. (Image: Facebook.)

Prosecutor Mark Worsley previously explained how the defendant had “frogmarched” the complainant to his house in Broad Street, holding onto her wrists.

There, she said he pushed her through the door and sat her down on a chair, before talking about their relationship.

“He swore at my friends, his intentions were that my friends were forcing me to break up,” she said.

“I was very quiet, I didn’t say a word, and because I didn’t say a word, he got even more angrier.”

She said that he pushed her to the floor with “massive force” on two occasions, and on the second, as she was trying to escape, “I remember him doing something to my throat”.

“It just feels like the air’s coming out and the blood was flowing and like I had no voice.

“I was trying so hard because I wanted him to stop but I couldn’t talk to him. I just begged him.”

Broad Street, Swindon, where the attack took place. (Image: Newsquest)

She went on to say that she had tried to end the relationship multiple times, but he had not wanted to.

When she moved away from Swindon for university, she said he would travel unannounced to her accommodation block when they had an argument.

She also said he would block her male friends from her social media accounts and control which friends she could talk to.

Also on the second day of the trial at Bristol Crown Court, jurors heard from the surgeon who operated on her at Great Western Hospital.

Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon James Morris was called to the hospital shortly after the attack on March 21 and described it as “the most severe” injuries he had dealt with in a decade.

An advanced trauma protocol was implemented and 10-15 medical professionals were on hand to assist.

Mr Morris said that the vocal cords had been “disarticulated” and were “floating independently”, and the wound had penetrated all the way to the windpipe.

He said it was a “violent attack” that saw the victim suffer “life-altering injuries”.

“As I’ve highlighted the injury to the front of the neck, given the precision and the orientation of that cut, made me wonder what the intent was here.

“It was a very serious injury, she was actively dying, we did something to save her.”

Crasto, of Broad Street, denies attempted murder and an alternative of wounding with intent.

He claims that it was someone else who caused the injuries.

The trial continues.