Thug slashed sex worker's face with blade in Sheffield

Krisztian Szabo approached the woman at 7.30am, on Sunday, August 11, 2019, on Rutland Road near the train station, and she got into the passenger seat of his white car.

He drove to Vale Road, near the old Ski Village, and asked her to take her shoes and socks off, before she performed a sexual act, said prosecutor Julian Jones.

But when the woman refused his request for another sexual act, Szabo began punching her in her face, head and ribs.

"She tried to shout for help and get out of the car," said Mr Jones. "She tried to dial 999."

But Szabo snatched the telephone from her and pulled a blade from his back pocket and slashed her forehead.

She got out of the car and fled barefoot and "bleeding profusely," before raising the alarm when she found someone at an industrial unit.

Szabo threw her bank cards, shoes and socks out of the car and drove off.

Police identified his white car, with blacked out windows and distinctive cuddly toys on the dashboard, via CCTV and arrested him on August 29.

He offered a "loose alibi" and denied any involvement, but blood from the inside rear passenger door matched the female victim's DNA and Szabo was picked out at an ID parade.

He later claimed he was acting in self-defence and pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, on November 23, but the crown rejected his plea and there was a trial.

On Wednesday, Sheffield Crown Court heard his victim had not been a sex worker for long and she was a "particularly vulnerable individual."

Szabo has a previous conviction in the UK for possession of a false identity document, for which he received 18 months at Canterbury Crown Court - a sentence he is currenty serving. He has previous convictions for accounting fraud, theft and falsifying documents, from Hungary.

Richard Holland, mitigating, said the three stitches Szabo's victim received didn't constitute "serious harm" in the context of the charge.

He said the location and time were not aggravating features of the offences, adding: "He has no previous convictions for violent offending and limited previous convictions.”

He mentioned the case of Manning as a mitigating factor, which refers to the harsh conditions in prison during the lockdown.

Szabo, 42, formerly of Shoreham Street, Sheffield, and currently of HMP Doncaster, was convicted of wounding with intent and having an article with a blade or point, following a trial on January 6.

Recorder Neil Mullarkey told him he took the woman to an "isolated and desolate" area where she was "incredibly vulnerable" and "no doubt terrified."

He sentenced Szabo to eight years in prison, which starts today, and banned him from contacting the woman with a ten-year restraining order.

“Any further offences of violence are likely to lead to further and more extensive prison sentenced being passed against you,” the judge told him.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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