A thug who trapped his wife in her own home before repeatedly stabbing her with a kitchen knife had his conviction challenge turned down –despite claims that fresh evidence from his victim could clear his name.

Bulgarian, Nikolay Batkadzhov, of Farncombe Way, Whitfield, Dover, was jailed for 13 years at Maidstone Crown Court in January last year after he was convicted of wounding with intent over his drink-fuelled attack on his spouse, Cristina Cilipic, in April 2012.

Batkadzhov, 28, went berserk at the matrimonial home in Farncombe Way, Whitfield, Mr Justice Griffith Williams told London’s Appeal Court today, locking all the doors before repeatedly lashing out at her with the knife.

His victim’s brother-in-law and the police were desperately trying to get inside while the attack was underway, the court heard.

“He then turned the knife on himself,” said the judge.

His wife “lost significant amounts of blood” and was in hospital for five days after the attack, the court heard. A medic who treated her said she could have died.

Batkadzhov, who met his wife when the couple worked at a fruit farm in Chartham, near Canterbury, took his case to the Appeal Court challenging both his conviction and the severity of his punishment.

Mr Justice Griffith-Williams, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Sir Brian Keith, rejected both heads of appeal, commenting that his conviction challenge was “groundless”.

Batkadzhov’s legal team asked to call his wife and victim to testify on his behalf “in relation to a statement she made post-conviction after she visited him in jail”.

Mrs Cilipic had made “various conciliatory comments” in her most recent statements and could give “important fresh evidence on the issue of intention”, it was claimed.

But the judge said this was “no more than an amplification” of her previous testimony and did not justify granting permission to appeal.

“There are no arguable grounds for suggesting that the conviction was unsafe." - Mr Justice Griffith-Williams

“There are no arguable grounds for suggesting that the conviction was unsafe,” he concluded.

Going on to dismiss the sentence challenge, he told the court: “The offence was clearly premeditated as evidenced by his locking the front and back doors.

“He armed himself with a knife and carried out a sustained attack in the knowledge that his brother-in-law and the police were trying to get into the house.

“There are no arguable grounds for saying that the sentence was manifestly excessive.”