Man jailed for unprovoked axe attack on woman at hairdressers

Bogdan Serban refused to look at images of injuries he caused when shown by police

(West Midlands Police)

A man has been jailed for leaving a woman fighting for life in an "unprovoked" axe attack at a hairdresser in Coventry.

Bogdan Serban, 42, entered the salon in the Ball Hill area armed with a knife and an axe on 3 June last year.

Police said he unleashed a “violent and unprovoked” attack on a 30-year-old woman, leaving her in critical condition in hospital.

The victim later recovered but has been left with life-changing injuries to her face and both arms. She also suffered a fractured eye socket.

Serban, who was arrested the day after the attack, was found guilty of attempted murder at Coventry Crown Court.

He had previously pleaded guilty to wounding and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced to 31 years in prison at the same court on Friday.

During a police interview, officers tried to show Serban the extent of the injuries the victim suffered, but he refused to look and said he could not remember hitting her with the axe.

When asked by police about the knife he carried, Serban said he stored it in his car boot and used it for peeling apples. On the axe, he said he had bought it three or four days earlier and had not used it before.

DC Sunita Sharma, from the West Midlands Police complex investigations team, said in a statement: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack and we welcome this sentencing.

“The attack caused life-changing injuries and we hope the victim and her family can take some comfort knowing justice has been done.”