A murderer who is believed to have tried to overdose before he was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court is still in hospital receiving treatment, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.
Matthew Farmer, 42, of Logan Street, Bulwell, was convicted of the murder of ex-partner Stacey Clay.
He was given a life sentence in his absence and must serve at least 29 years before he can apply for parole.
Farmer stabbed the mother-of-four 21 times and tried to strangle her in the back garden of her home in Andover Road, Bestwood, after weeks of harassment.
Miss Clay died of her injuries two weeks later on June 2 following the incident.
Farmer was convicted on Thursday, January 20, but his sentencing was delayed on Friday, January 21, because it's believed he took an overdose of tablets and was intensive care.
On Friday, January 21, a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson said that a prisoner at HMP Nottingham had been taken to hospital that morning and was receiving treatment.
And, an Monday (January 24), the MoJ confirmed "he is still in hospital receiving treatment".
Neighbours were 'over the moon' at Farmer's sentence, and Miss Clay's family paid tribute to her following the sentencing.
The planned killing by Tesco Extra security guard Farmer involved him buying the knife at work before he went to Miss Clay's home in Andover Road, Bestwood, in the early hours.
Wearing a hoody, Farmer placed his hand over a window where Miss Clay had her CCTV positioned and breathed on the glass, which Judge Gregory Dickinson QC said on Friday, January 21, was to "intimidate".
Miss Clay, whose motion-activated camera delivered text alerts, saw the footage and called police - but Farmer hid out of sight behind a large barbecue and had come prepared for a long wait with a bar of chocolate and bottle of Lucozade.
A shocking recording played at his trial showed Miss Clay looking over the garden fence for any further damage (furniture had been damaged before) when Farmer leapt forwards and delivered 21 stab wounds to her neck, back and flank, some which penetrated into her chest.
Farmer continued the attack even when a neighbour screamed at him to stop, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
Judge Dickinson said the stabbing stopped only when the knife broke, the blade was later removed in surgery.
Another neighbour had described Farmer punching Miss Clay to the face and later one of Miss Clay's eye sockets was found to be fractured.
"The knife having broken, you then strangled Stacey," said the judge.
Serious damage was caused to a vital blood vessel.
Farmer was still struggling with Miss Clay in her back garden when the first police officer arrived, before the violence ended when another police officer tasered him.
