Bury St Edmunds Parkway car park attacker Alexander Cornell jailed for 20 years after 'jealous' stabbing

An Ipswich man who stabbed the boyfriend of his boss, whom he was obsessed with, in a Bury St Edmunds car park has been jailed.

Alexander Cornell, 29 of Britannia Road, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars with an extended licence period of five years at Ipswich Crown Court today.

The court heard that at around 2.30pm on July 4 last year, in Parkway multi-storey car park, Cornell stabbed Blazej Piortowski three times, one of them causing a serious injury to the back of his neck.

He was later arrested and a blood-stained zombie knife was found in his bag, with a further collection of weapons discovered in his bedroom.

Judge Martyn Levett described Cornell as 'dangerous' and said he believed the attack was spurred on by resentment, jealousy and infatuation for Mr Piortowski's girlfriend, who was also his boss.

The court heard Cornell, who asked the woman out on several occasions and she declined, had purchased gifts for her, including a red dress, underwear and a pink bikini, and when she changed gyms on three separate occasions, he did the same.

Judge Levett said Cornell had an 'ungovernable, intractable desire for revenge' and added: "I don't regard this attack for one instant as being a moment of madness."

A victim impact statement written by Mr Piotrowski in July last year said his injuries, which needed stitches at West Suffolk Hospital, caused him to take 10 days off work while he recovered.

He said he was in fear of Cornell coming after him, his girlfriend, or wider family.

Cornell denied attempted murder, having previously admitted to wounding Mr Piotrowski with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, as well as having a knife in a public place and having weapons at his home address.

He was found guilty by a jury on January 23.

Steven Dyble, counsel for Cornell, said he had no previous convictions and described his crime as unsophisticated.

He said Cornell was a model prisoner and added that he had no intention to contact the victim or his girlfriend in the future.

Judge Levett handed Cornell a 20-year prison sentence, with a following five-year period on extended licence. There will be no opportunity for parole until two thirds of the prison time has been served.