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| Wife's 'nightmare' as man waits four years for trial | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Voja Petkovic was arrested weeks after the birth of his daughter with his wife Sonia Sumal | Voja Petkovic was arrested weeks after the birth of his daughter with his wife Sonia Sumal |
| The wife of a man who has been told he will spend at least four years and four months in jail before standing trial says she is living in a "nightmare". | The wife of a man who has been told he will spend at least four years and four months in jail before standing trial says she is living in a "nightmare". |
| Voja Petkovic, 36, was arrested in January 2019 and remains on remand despite not facing trial. | Voja Petkovic, 36, was arrested in January 2019 and remains on remand despite not facing trial. |
| He denies supplying Class A drugs and possessing a prohibited firearm. | He denies supplying Class A drugs and possessing a prohibited firearm. |
| The Ministry of Justice said remand cases were now being prioritised following the Covid-19 pandemic. | The Ministry of Justice said remand cases were now being prioritised following the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Mr Petkovic remains in Leicester Prison nearly four years after his arrest, which took place just weeks after his daughter was born in 2019. | Mr Petkovic remains in Leicester Prison nearly four years after his arrest, which took place just weeks after his daughter was born in 2019. |
| His wife, Sonia Sumal, said she had to give up her career as a telecoms project manager to take charge of the Derby off-licence formerly run by her husband. | His wife, Sonia Sumal, said she had to give up her career as a telecoms project manager to take charge of the Derby off-licence formerly run by her husband. |
| She missed her daughter's first words and first steps after taking on the role following his arrest, she said. | She missed her daughter's first words and first steps after taking on the role following his arrest, she said. |
| Sonia Sumal says she is living in a "nightmare" | Sonia Sumal says she is living in a "nightmare" |
| "If we'd been to trial and got whatever result - whether guilty or not guilty - we would know what we were working towards and could understand and process that," she said. | "If we'd been to trial and got whatever result - whether guilty or not guilty - we would know what we were working towards and could understand and process that," she said. |
| "I feel like everybody - me, him, his family, my family - we're all just being punished. | "I feel like everybody - me, him, his family, my family - we're all just being punished. |
| "Our daughter just thinks the normality is going to see her father at the weekend and give him a hug at the end of a visit. | "Our daughter just thinks the normality is going to see her father at the weekend and give him a hug at the end of a visit. |
| "What this feels like is a nightmare that I've just never been able to wake up from." | "What this feels like is a nightmare that I've just never been able to wake up from." |
| 'Incredibly concerning' | 'Incredibly concerning' |
| Mr Petkovic's solicitor, Brian Swan, said he was not expected to appear in court until May 2023. | Mr Petkovic's solicitor, Brian Swan, said he was not expected to appear in court until May 2023. |
| This is because of a backlog due to Covid-19, barrister strikes and technical problems, he said. | This is because of a backlog due to Covid-19, barrister strikes and technical problems, he said. |
| An application for bail was denied by a judge. | An application for bail was denied by a judge. |
| Mr Swan said: "You're innocent until proven guilty. | Mr Swan said: "You're innocent until proven guilty. |
| "It's incredibly concerning because in my experience this is just unprecedented and that just has an incredible effect on their mental health and their ability to prepare their defence." | "It's incredibly concerning because in my experience this is just unprecedented and that just has an incredible effect on their mental health and their ability to prepare their defence." |
| A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Remand cases have been prioritised following the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and only those posing the greatest risk to the public or who are likely to abscond are held in prison. | A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Remand cases have been prioritised following the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and only those posing the greatest risk to the public or who are likely to abscond are held in prison. |
| "Decisions on bail applications are made by independent judges who ensure the public are protected." | "Decisions on bail applications are made by independent judges who ensure the public are protected." |
| Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |