Jalal Homsi jailed for ‘extremely violent’ machete attack on then partner

He begged his girlfriend to buy a machete for him, then sliced her neck with it, a court has heard. Find out when he’ll be eligible for parole.

A man who sliced his then partner’s neck and finger with a machete he had “begged” her to buy has been jailed for the “extremely violent” domestic violence attack.

Jalal Homsi, 34, and the woman had been in a “dream” relationship which was marred by the couple’s use of methylamphetamine and fantasy.

In sentencing, Jude Timothy Heffernan said Homsi – who could be out of prison in under three years – frequently carried knives and would become agitated, paranoid, angry and violent depending on the combination of drugs he was using.

In November 2019, he tried to suffocate and strangle his then-partner after accusing her of being unfaithful, which she denied.

“She felt like she was going to die … she believes that she blacked out,” Judge Heffernan said.

“The experience was not doubt humiliating and frightening for her.”

Jalal Homsi. Picture: South Australian Police

Homsi then threatened the woman with a machete, holding the blade against her neck, cutting her.

“She tried to pull the blade of the machete away from her throat and she sustained a deep laceration to her finger,” Judge Heffernan said.

“You only had possession of the machete because you had begged the victim to but it for you shortly prior to the day of the offence … it demonstrates the danger of your apparent liking for knives.

“It is only a matter of good fortune that she did not at the very least sustain a serious injury.”

The incident occurred at a suburban caravan park at the time, where Homsi kept the woman, before agreeing to accompany her to Westfield Marion to buy bandages.

The woman used the opportunity to escape with help from shop staff.

“That entire sequence of events must have been terrifying for her,” Judge Heffernan said.

In February 2020, while Homsi was on the run from authorities, he attempted to get the woman to drop the charges. He made her turn off location settings on her phone and call his lawyer but she could not get through.

Homsi was later arrested in April 2020. In August 2022 he was found guilty at trial of four violent offences including unlawfully choking, suffocating or strangling and a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness.

In her victim impact statement, previously read to the court, the woman said Homsi had gone from being “sweet, kind, loving” and protective to “very controlling” within months.

“During the course of your relationship, she lost contact with her family, children and friends because of your violent and controlling nature,” Judge Heffernan said.

He said Homsi had taken steps towards rehabilitation but regarded him as “still being a danger to the community”. He said Homsi had written a letter of apology but also demonstrated “a significant level of victim blaming, minimisation and refusal to take full responsibility” for his conduct during a psychological appointment.

After discounts for almost a year already spent in jail ahead of the trial, and time on home detention bail, Homsi was jailed for almost five and a half years.

Judge Heffernan set a non-parole period a week short of three years.