A violent altercation unfolded in a Tesco parking lot when a man attacked another individual following a dispute inside the store. Pavel Stefanovic instigated the assault after being approached by a fellow Lithuanian at the Meir Park Tesco in Stoke. Subsequently, Stefanovic brandished a Stanley knife and proceeded to slash the victim, inflicting multiple cuts on the victim’s hand, arm, legs, and nose, as revealed during the trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
The 39-year-old Stefanovic, residing on Charnwood Road, Meir, has been sentenced to 29 months in prison, with deportation likely as a consequence. According to prosecutor Jamie Scott, the incident occurred on December 30, 2022, when the victim, accompanied by his wife, encountered Stefanovic, whom he recognized from a YouTube video, while shopping at Tesco. The interaction escalated outside the store, where Stefanovic revealed the concealed knife and proceeded to attack the victim.
Stefanovic pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful wounding, two counts of possessing bladed articles in public, and failure to surrender to court. His criminal history includes a five-year prison term in Lithuania in 2006 for a severe physical assault involving a knife. Despite arguments for a suspended sentence, Judge Richard McConaghy deemed immediate imprisonment necessary due to the severity of the offense.
The victim sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment, including stitches for lacerations on his hand, forearm, finger, and knee. The court emphasized the gravity of the incident, highlighting Stefanovic’s prolonged threatening behavior with a knife in a public place. Consequently, Stefanovic faces deportation to Lithuania following his sentence, with the judge issuing a deprivation order for the confiscated knives used in the attack.