The false account unravels
A former international hockey coach broke down in tears as he told police his wife had taken her own life — but investigators quickly discovered he had stabbed her to death and staged the scene to look like suicide.
Mohamed Samak, 44, claimed his interior designer wife Joanne, 49, had killed herself at their home in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, in the early hours of July 1, 2024. In police interviews now revealed for the first time, the ex-Egyptian international player tearfully insisted she had said, "I've had enough of life, I've had enough of this."
But prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence that Samak had murdered his wife, then waited over an hour after neighbours heard screaming before calling emergency services — by which time Joanne had been dead for some time. He was arrested at the scene and charged with murder on July 4, 2024.
The false account unravels
In police interviews featured in the BBC documentary Murder 24/7, Samak gave a detailed account of his wife's alleged self-inflicted injuries. When asked how Joanne was hurt, he replied: "How do I explain? I can't explain. I think it's a lot of things Jo suffered and she's kind of like, had enough of life."
He claimed to have seen her through a gap in the room, holding a knife. "When she pulled her arms down, I said, 'What are you doing?' and she said, 'Just leave me alone,' swinging her arms, and I moved back," he told officers.
When pressed about whether he was responsible for the injuries, Samak became tearful and asked: "What am I in here for?" The interview was suspended to give him a break.
Medical evidence contradicts suicide claim
Joanne suffered six stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, ranging between 2.5cm and 10cm deep. Medical experts told Worcester Crown Court that considerable force was needed to penetrate her breastbone, making it highly unlikely she could have inflicted the injury on herself.
Prosecutors revealed that Joanne's blood was found on clothing Samak had hidden in the loft. On the night of her death, she had set an alarm on her phone for the next morning and hung out a red dress to wear, suggesting she had no indication of the violence that would follow.
Despite being trained in first aid and having a kit in his bedroom, Samak admitted he did not perform CPR when the 999 call handler instructed him to do so.
Financial pressures and another woman
The trial heard that Samak was suffering financial problems and had become interested in another woman. Joanne, who had recently been made redundant and received £7,150 in redundancy pay, was the main breadwinner while Samak struggled to find permanent work.
Samak had rekindled contact with a woman from France whom he had met in 2009. The pair had met up in London and kissed, though he had not told his wife. Joanne had confided in a friend that she did not love her husband and wished she could divorce him.
The couple, who married in 2014 after meeting in Egypt where Samak worked in hotel entertainment, had been sleeping in separate bedrooms. Samak claimed he missed the "romance" in their relationship and that they were leading almost separate lives.
Contradictory accounts
When Samak first called 999 at 4.10am — more than an hour after neighbours heard a ten-second scream — he told the call handler he had gone to the bathroom, decided to check on his wife, and found her slumped on the bed with a knife in her stomach.
This account differed significantly from what he later told police about seeing her stab herself through a gap in the room. At trial, Samak said he had lied initially because he panicked and feared being blamed.
Friends and family testified that they had no concerns about Joanne's drinking or mental state, contradicting Samak's claims that she struggled with alcohol and mental health problems. They said she had things to look forward to, including starting a new job and celebrating her 50th birthday.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
Samak, who had worked as a hockey coach at the exclusive Malvern College — a co-educational independent boarding school in Worcestershire — denied murder throughout two trials. The jury at his first trial in February 2025 failed to reach a verdict, but he was convicted at a retrial in October 2025.
Judge James Burbidge KC described Samak's actions as "wicked beyond comprehension" and said he had destroyed the lives of Joanne's family. The sentencing framework for murder in England and Wales normally starts at a minimum of 15 years, though this can be increased for aggravating factors. Samak was jailed for at least 21 years, less the 483 days he had already served on remand.
Joanne's mother Penny Vale told the court, wiping away tears, that her family and friends would "never get over" the loss of the "irreplaceable" interior designer. Her brother Mark Vale described his sister's death as "unexpected, sudden, violent and immeasurably cruel."
Murder 24/7: Suicide or Murder, which follows West Mercia Police murder investigations in real time, continues on BBC One tonight at 9pm.
