Jalal Homsi attacked former partner with machete before fleeing interstate, court hears

A woman whose neck and hand were sliced in a machete attack by her “violent and controlling” former partner has told a court of her ongoing fear.

A woman whose hand and neck were sliced during a frightening and drug-fuelled machete attack by her former partner has told a court every member of her family is so fearful of him they have been forced to move house, a court has heard.

The woman told the District Court her 2019 relationship with Jalal Homsi, 34, began as a “dream” but fell apart within months as he became “very controlling” while under the influence of drugs.

“He was sweet, kind, loving, very protective and he made me feel amazing,” she said in a victim impact statement which a prosecutor read to the court.

But by late 2019, the woman said she felt trapped and “could see no way out of the relationship”.

Jalal Homsi sliced his former partner with a machete. Picture: South Australian Police

At trial, the court heard that Homsi had threatened the woman with a machete, cutting her neck and hand as she tried to push it away and choked her while they were staying at suburban caravan park in December 2019.

The couple went to Westfield Marion where Homsi remained by her side as they bought bandages. She took her chance to escape when he eventually allowed her into a shop alone.

Staff let her out a back door before a woman in a carpark took her to Kmart where staff called police. Homsi went on the run, fleeing interstate, but was later arrested.

In her victim impact statement, the woman described spending “many days and nights homeless” and hiding in pub toilets until they closed because she lived in “constant fear and anxiety” that Homsi would find her.

“I was constantly being moved from different domestic violence shelters as he would locate me,” she said.

She told the court Homsi had found her in a private rehabilitation centre and at a narcotics anonymous meeting.

“All my family have moved house due to fear Jalal would retaliate,” she said.

“I can never drive straight home without being in fear that someone is following me so I never drive the same way.

“There have been a number of times I felt compelled to have my car checked for tracking devices.

“I constantly have to look over my shoulder.”

A jury found Homsi guilty of four violent offences and a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness for trying to get the woman to drop the charges.

In a sentencing submissions hearing, Chris Allen, for Homsi, said his client had endured a troubled childhood including witnessing the shooting murder of his father in Sydney as a young child.

He said Homsi was abusing drugs at the time of the offending which he said was an explanation, but not an excuse for his “out of control” crimes.

The court heard Homsi, a labourer, had written a letter of apology to the victim.

Kylie Benson, prosecuting, told the court Homsi had told a psychologist that he was “perhaps not fully accepting of his role” and was “victim blaming as opposed to taking full responsibility for his actions”.

She said the “violent and controlling relationship” had left the victim continuing to live in fear.

She called for a jail term when Homsi is sentenced next month.