Czech man jailed for stabbing British girlfriend to death

Rebecca Johnson, pictured, was stabbed 40 times by ex-soldier Frybl, who has been jailed 

A man has been found guilty of murdering his British girlfriend at a husky farm in Lapland after he claimed not to remember stabbing her 40 times.

Karel Frybl stabbed Rebecca Johnson in the back during his attack in a cottage in Kuttanen in December 2016.

As well as stab wounds, the 26-year-old woman from Fife had defensive injuries to her back, meaning she must have turned away from her attacker at some point as she tried to escape.

Ex-soldier Frybl was today sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder in Rovaniemi, northern Finland. 

Ms Johnson, of Burntisland burgh, was working as a member of the Santa Safari team, which collaborates with Oxford-based tour operator Transun Travel to organise Christmas-themed excursions to Lapland.

After the attack Frybl left the scene with some of his dogs and walked around two-and-a-half miles into the woods before being arrested.

Frybl admitted culpable homicide at an earlier court hearing but had denied the murder.

Frybl walked with his dogs in the woods after murdering Ms Johnson, pictured

Frybl, pictured, walked with his dogs in the woods after murdering Ms Johnson

Frybl, pictured right, walked with his dogs in the woods after murdering Ms Johnson, who is pictured left 

Police investigate in Lapland, where the Santa's Safari worker was murdered by her boyfriend

Police investigate in Lapland, where the Santa’s Safari worker was murdered by her boyfriend

The Czech national claimed he suffered a loss of control at the time of the attack and could not recall anything of the stabbings.  

His lawyer said had served with the Czech army in Kosovo and Afghanistan, which may have left him with poor mental health. The pair had moved from Scotland where Frybl had been a butcher and slaughterhouse worker. 

The ex-soldier initially claimed that he could not remember the murder in the village of Kuttanen

The ex-soldier initially claimed that he could not remember the murder in the village of Kuttanen

However a psychiatric report ordered by the court found Frybl was not insane at the time of the incident.

The court found there was no doubt the crime was committed in a ‘particularly ferocious, brutal and violent manner’.

It said the violence she suffered was well beyond culpable homicide and found him guilty of murder.

In Finland a life sentence is rarely more than 14 years. He was also told to pay just under €40,000.

 



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