19-year minimum term for man who stabbed ex to death

A man has been jailed for life to serve a minimum of 19 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend who he stabbed to death in Southampton after stalking her as she went on a date.

Abdelaziz El Yechioui Ourzat was convicted at Winchester Crown Court of the murder of Cristina Ortiz-Lozano, who suffered multiple stab wounds at her home on September 21 2019.

The 29-year-old defendant had been in a relationship with Ms Ortiz-Lozano for 12 years since they had met at school in Spain, and they had moved to the UK in April 2018, firstly living in Liverpool before moving to Southampton the following year.

A Hampshire police spokesman said the pair split up after El Yechioui Ourzat was arrested for failing to give a breath test which led to an argument and the defendant causing criminal damage to their home address in August 2019.

Later that month, he was arrested again for sending abusive emails to Ms Ortiz-Lozano and was bailed with conditions not to contact her.

The force spokesman said that on September 21, Ms Ortiz-Lozano went on a date with a 30-year-old man and she spotted El Yechioui Ourzat come into the pub which caused her to decide to return to her home.

The spokesman said: "When they arrived, El Yechioui Ourzat was waiting outside of the address. Cristina let herself into the property and El Yechioui Ourzat followed her into the kitchen, where he carried out his brutal attack.''

Detective Inspector Toby Elcock said: "I welcome today's sentence. El Yechioui Ourzat has been shown to be an extremely dangerous man whose abusive and jealous behaviour led him to take the life of a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her.

"I know today's sentence will not bring Cristina back, but I hope it goes some way to give her family and friends some closure and a degree of comfort that justice has been done.

"This was a brutal attack on a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her.

"The court heard how El Yechioui Ourzat's abusive and jealous behaviour culminated in the brutal murder of Cristina.''

Ms Ortiz-Lozano's father said in a statement released through police: "Every day at around 9pm, Cristina would call us to tell us about her day-to-day life and now that has become our worst time of the day. It has emotionally destroyed us.

"We welcomed Abdelaziz El Yechioui Ourzat as another member of our family, including him and making him part of our lives, to the extent that he told me that I was like his second father.

"El Yechioui Ourzat knew how much we loved both of our daughters. I asked him to look after Cristina because we loved her very much.''