The 31-year-old man who stabbed a woman multiple times at a supermarket in northern Nicosia attacked her because she ended their relationship, a court heard on Friday.

He appeared in court for the second time since the incident, with a police officer saying the man and his 22-year-old victim, named as Kyrgyz national Zhanerke Abdrazakova, had been in a relationship since January.

The officer said that the woman had started to work at a nightclub, and when the suspect heard about this, he travelled to Cyprus on Thursday last week.

He then rented a villa in the Kyrenia district and, according to the officer, arranged for Abdrazakova to visit last Friday. However, she then ended the pair’s relationship and left the villa with the help of her boss.

Following this development, the man then went to the north’s Tymbou (Ercan) airport on Monday to return to Turkey, his country of origin, but upon learning that Abdrazakova was not working that day but was out shopping, he cancelled his ticket and travelled there.

The officer said the man found Abdrazakova and bought a knife from a local shop, before following her to the Metropol supermarket in Taskinkoy, where he stabbed her and then himself.

The officer said Abdrazakova is stable and that she had undergone a second surgery on Wednesday, but that her life is still considered to be in danger.

More than 30 statements have been taken so far, with about 10 more witnesses expected to make statements in the coming days. Police asked for the remand to be extended for another seven days.

The man’s lawyer said Abdrazakova had “extorted 1.5 million TL”, €27,228, from his client through “threats”, and that this “should be investigated”.

In addition, the lawyer said the man had been “receiving treatment at a psychiatric centre in Istanbul” and “was taking medication”.

The court acquiesced to the police’s request and extended the man’s remand for a further seven days.

Police said Abdrazakova had “suffered damage to many of her internal organs as a result of the attack”.

The suspect “tried to flee the scene” after attacking Abdrazakova, police said, but was “prevented from doing so by members of the public, whereupon he wounded himself with the same knife”.

Footage from the security camera at the supermarket has been examined by police.