A man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after attempting to murder his former partner by arming himself with a knife, disguising himself and tracking her movements using an electronic tag placed on her car, reports The Mirror.
Pedro Cifali (37), a Brazilian national formerly living in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, had already pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Lucia Nezbalova (43) at the front door of her home in Garnish Square, Waterville, Dublin 15, on May 10, 2024, reports The Mirror.
As Cifali approached Ms Nezbalova at her door, he told her: “Don’t worry, I just want to talk,” but moments later he produced a knife and stabbed her.
Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said Cifali stabbed Ms Nezbalova in the neck, behind the ear, at the back of the head, and in the stomach and arms, while she also sustained defensive injuries to her face and hands, reports The Mirror.
The judge said the abdominal wound was so severe that Ms Nezbalova’s organs were visible. Doctors described the injuries as life-threatening and said she survived only because a nearby doctor heard her screams and intervened.
Ms Justice Creedon said the unprovoked attack has left the victim with restricted movement and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Her mobility remains limited and she requires further surgery. The judge said jealousy over Ms Nezbalova’s new relationship was part of the motive for the premeditated assault, reports The Mirror.
Ms Justice Creedon set a headline sentence of 20 years before mitigation, noting the most significant factors were Cifali’s guilty plea and absence of previous convictions. She imposed a final sentence of 16 years, with a further 12 months suspended on condition that Cifali engage with probation services. The sentence was backdated to May 15, 2024, when he first entered custody.
At an earlier hearing, a victim impact statement written by Ms Nezbalova was read out by prosecution senior counsel Shane Costelloe. She said she had to learn to live in “a body that no longer feels like my own” and now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety and depression. “This has been a painful ongoing battle to reclaim my life,” she said, reports The Mirror.
Ms Nezbalova said she is a “survivor of an unthinkable act by my ex-partner, the father of my daughter.”
She described her permanent scars as “cruel reminders of the violence that changed our lives”. She said she lives with constant pain, has limited mobility and struggles with everyday tasks such as tying her daughter’s shoelaces, reports The Mirror.
She said she was forced to return to work before fully recovering because she is now the sole provider for her children and has no family support in Ireland. She said she is “terrified of being around people” and is frequently overwhelmed by anxiety.
The attack “shattered” her sense of safety in her own home. “What he destroyed cannot simply be rebuilt, it lingers in our everyday lives,” she said, reports The Mirror.
Detective Sergeant Mark Murphy told Mr Costelloe that the relationship between the accused and Ms Nezbalova ended in April 2024. After the break-up, Cifali placed an electronic tracking device beneath the bumper of her car.
On the day of the attack, CCTV footage obtained by gardaí showed Cifali arriving at a garage in Blanchardstown in his distinctive blue work van just minutes after Ms Nezbalova. He then followed her to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and parked around 100 metres from her car. He stood at the entrance while Ms Nezbalova went into a McDonald’s restaurant inside, reports The Mirror.
CCTV footage also showed Cifali attempting to conceal his identity by wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead and a blonde wig, with his beard dyed a lighter colour than usual.
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