Strangled woman, 29, 'comes back to life' to snare man who thought he'd killed her

Car wash worker Danil Shabaldin, 27, faces up to 15 years in jail in court case in Krasnoyarsk after being charged with attempted murder and robbery. 

He is accused of holding a gun to mother-of-one Lyubov's head as she got in her BMW to collect her husband at the railway station.

In testimony the woman - whose full identity was not released -  told police: 'I was about to get in the car, and with my side vision I saw a shadow - and then felt a handgun at my head and heard a man whisper: 'Go, drive!'

Police say Shabaldin - previously jailed for ten years over his participation in a shocking rape and robbery case - had identified her as wealthy and intended to steal from her to pay off his debts. 

She obeyed him and started driving. 

'I was horrified and started crying: 'Let me go, I have a small son, 3 years old. Be kind to the kid, let me go'. 

Lyubov came round and managed to use her cell phone to send messages. Pictures:Life News, Russian Investigative Committee

'He told me 'I need to leave, drive me, I'll let you go later.' 

On the outskirts of Krasnoyarsk, he suddenly told her to stop and get out of the car. 

His statement to investigators said: 'She got out, and stood with her side to me.

'I grabbed her neck from the back and started strangling her. 

'Then she fell down, banging her head on the car. 

'I sat on top of her and continued to strangle her. 

'She was moving, kicking, then she got quiet.' 

Thinking 'everything was over', he dragged her to the boot of the car, and threw a blanket over her 'body'.

As he drove the car at speed, Lyubov came round and managed to use her cell phone to send messages saying she had been kidnapped to her husband, mother and work colleagues. 

Shabalin initially confessed but later changed his testimony. Pictures: Investigative Committee in Krasnoyarsk region, KP

Senior investigator Yulia Cherkashina said: 'He hadn't managed to kill her. When her husband and the others received her messages, they raised the alarm.'

A geolocation on the message helped police narrow the search area. 

'Details about her car were passed to all the police units,' she said.

'And two hours later traffic police stopped the car.'

Shabalin initially confessed but later changed his testimony, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. 

Shabaldin previously jailed for ten years over his participation in a shocking rape and robbery case. Pictures: Russian Investigative Committee

Cherkashina said: 'Shabalin had been released from prison in the past year and a half.

'As a 17 year old, he was involved in a terrible crime. 

'With an older criminal, he  hunted for young girls with an axe. 

'They attacked, raped and robbed the girls. 

'He did not initiate that but was involved.'

Sources say he was convicted of rape and robbery.  

His friend was given 25 years in jail, he was given 10.'

Before attacking Lyubov, had visited a pawn shop to sell a laptop and smartphone he had stolen from his car wash. 

Cherkashina said: 'I cannot imagine what the woman went through.  

'She was strangled with bare hands.' 

The trial is due to begin soon.