The jury in the trial of Mohamed Samak, a former public school hockey coach accused of murdering his wife, has been discharged after failing to reach a unanimous verdict.
Trial Overview: Jury Struggles to Reach Consensus
The case, which centers on the death of Joanne Samak, the wife of 42-year-old Mohamed Samak, has left the jury divided.
After nearly ten hours of deliberation, the panel of seven men and four women informed Mr. Justice Choudhury that they were deadlocked.
Their inability to come to a decision resulted in their discharge.
The prosecution argued that Mohamed Samak killed his wife due to financial struggles and his interest in another woman, while the defense claimed that Joanne took her own life, citing her mental health and alcohol issues as contributing factors.
Financial Struggles and Allegations of Affairs
Samak, a former Egyptian hockey international, admitted to having struggled financially and personally with his marriage.
He was accused of seeking to shift blame by portraying his wife as an “out-of-control alcoholic” in an attempt to support his claim that she took her own life.
However, prosecutors pointed out that there was no evidence of long-term alcohol abuse.
Samak also admitted to having deleted messages from a woman he had reconnected with shortly before his wife’s death.
The defendant was also under scrutiny for deleting messages to a woman named Fadila Fadou, with whom he had rekindled a romantic connection before his wife’s passing.
He had even expressed his love for her, sending an email saying “I love you” before the couple went on a sightseeing trip in London, just weeks before the tragic event.
Jury’s Struggles and Court Discharge
Deliberations began on Thursday, with the jury struggling to reach a verdict.
On Friday, the panel sent multiple notes to the judge indicating they were struggling to make a decision.
After resuming deliberations on the following day, the jury reported that they remained divided and were subsequently discharged.
This means that the Crown Prosecution Service now has seven days to decide whether to seek a retrial for the accused, Mohamed Samak. A hearing to address this will be scheduled in two weeks.
The Tragic Death of Joanne Samak
The court heard that Mohamed Samak and his wife had been living in separate rooms at the time of her death.
Emergency responders found Mrs. Samak lying in the hallway with a serrated blade protruding from her abdomen.
Samak had reportedly waited an hour before calling emergency services.
When questioned about his response, he admitted to performing CPR but stated he did so incorrectly because of his panic.
However, cross-examination revealed discrepancies in his account, with a police officer who arrived at the scene stating that Samak had no blood on him, despite performing CPR.
Despite admitting to lying in previous statements, Samak denied being a murderer, asserting, “I’m not a killer. What would make me do that?”
Background on the Samak Family
The couple met in 2011 while Joanne was on vacation in Egypt.
They married in 2014, and Samak became a coach at Malvern College.
Prior to her death, Joanne had been making plans for her 50th birthday and had also started a new interior design business.
Samak has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, and the case continues to raise questions about his involvement in the tragic death of his wife.