Wife Makes Plea Deal in West Hartford Hookah Lounge Sword Assault

Najeh Frihi, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault for her part in a sword fight that almost killed her husband at their West Hartford hookah lounge this past spring, according to the Hartford Courant.

The Courant reports Frihi pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine and will receive a suspended prison sentence and conditional discharges.

Her husband, George Ayoub, 47, pleaded no contest to second-degree assault last week and received a five-year suspended prison sentence which includes a three-year period of probation.

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Ayoub suffered massive abdominal wounds, including punctures to his liver, pancreas and spleen, in the fight, according to the Courant, while Frehi suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Their arrests stem from a domestic violence incident at the Arabian Nights hookah lounge on April 22, West Hartford police said at the time.

Police received a 911 call around 3 a.m. from Ayoub reporting his wife had stabbed him. Police recovered a large sword at the scene.

The Courant reports that neither wanted to testify against each other and Ayoub didn’t want to see Frihi go to jail although “he does want to divorce her,” according to the prosecutor in the case.

Read the full story at the Hartford Courant here.