Jealous Ex Who Stabbed Romantic Rival In Bed Sentenced: Brooklyn DA

BROOKLYN, NY — The man who forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s Brooklyn apartment and brutally stabbed her sleeping partner has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars, officials said.

Clifton Turner, 39, of Crown Heights, was convicted by a jury on multiple charges — including burglary and assault — for his role in a violent November 2020 attack, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

"Today’s sentence holds the defendant responsible for a brutal and horrifying act of violence that nearly cost an innocent man his life," Gonzalez said.

Prosecutors said that on the night of November 4, 2020, Turner arrived at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment building on Pulaski Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant and was seen pacing in the lobby until his victim arrived.

When his ex-girlfriend’s new partner arrived on his bike, Turner followed him into the elevator and up to her sixth-floor apartment. Once inside, Turner confronted the victim and threatened to kill him. Just then, the ex-girlfriend opened the door and pulled the victim inside, leaving the bike in the hallway. Turner then took the bike and left the building, prosecutors said.

Later that night, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Turner broke into the apartment and forced his way into the bedroom where the victim and ex-girlfriend were sleeping, officials said.

Turner stabbed the victim twice in the left arm, severing a vein and brachial artery, before stealing their cellphones to prevent them from calling for help. The woman managed to grab the knife from Turner, threw it out a window, then escaped the apartment and called 911 from a nearby corner store.

Turner chased her out of the apartment but fled before police arrived. Officers arrested him nearby while he was riding the victim’s bike and carrying the two stolen cellphones.

The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he lost his pulse and stopped breathing for about 10 minutes before being resuscitated. He stayed hospitalized for four days following the attack, police said.

"Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my highest priority, and violent offenders like this defendant will face serious consequences," Gonzalez added.