30-year-old Tony Garnett, 30, and 28-year-old partner Lorna – the mum to their two kids – welcomed Sofiia Karkadym into their home earlier this year after her country was invaded by Russia, but a romance quickly developed between Sofia and the security guard.
After running away with her and embarking on a four-month relationship just 10 days after she arrived in May, the dad cut Sofiia out of his life in October following a series of rows.
But the dad-of-two has now revealed the pair is giving their relationship another chance.
Tony and Sofiia had kept in touch with regular phone calls and Tony last week decided to go and see her in Ukraine.
He flew to Poland and boarded a bus to cross the border before arriving several hours later at her family home in a village a few hours from Lviv.
After a happy few weeks with her parents and her grandmother – who showered him with affection and cooked for him every day – the pair have returned to the UK to live together in Yorkshire.
Tony said: ‘I think we can make this work. She’s a really attractive woman and always has interesting stuff to talk about. I want to know her much better and this time we will take things slower.
Tony and Sofiia’s four-month relationship came to a dramatic close in September as a series of booze-fuelled rows escalated and Sofiia allegedly used a knife to stab the wall of their rented home in Bradford.
She was then reportedly arrested and taken away by police who warned her not to go back to the property.
Sofiia returned to Ukraine with her initial refugee status expiring and Tony branded their relationship a “huge mistake”.
However, Tony has now said that he had “missed her” and claimed his anger over her drinking had “subsided.”
She promised me she would never touch alcohol again and since that day I got to Ukraine to see her she hasn’t touched any drink. And she hasn’t back in Yorkshire either,” he said.
‘I knew that it was very tough for her leaving her family and her country and arriving in Bradford and drink was something she turned to.’
He and Sofiia had talked things through with her family, he said, adding that they had been “welcoming” and “loving” towards him.
They have put their trust in me to look after their daughter and that is what I will do. I have given them my promise.”
She said that during their period on the rocks, she had been drinking “up to ten cans of strong lager a day”.
Tony had also taken in two more Ukrainian refugees to help them and paid their rent too, he claimed, though they had now been homed by local authorities.
The couple’s plans from here was for him to secure a job and Sofiia to head to college.
They had discussed marriage, he said, and the prospect of having children.
Sofiia said she loved Tony “very much” and had “really missed him”.
‘I am glad that he came to Ukraine to bring me back and that showed me that he really does care for me,’ she added.
