BOURNEMOUTH MAN GUILTY OF BRUTAL GIRLFRIEND MURDER
Alberto Fioletti, aged 31, has been found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Stephanie Hodgkinson, at her residence in Bournemouth.The verdict was reached through a majority decision by the jury during a trial held at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Fioletti stabbed Stephanie, who was 34, causing seven wounds that penetrated her chest and inflicted severe damage to her heart and lungs.
Following the assault, he contacted emergency services, confessed to the murder, and stated that he had also attempted to take his own life.
The post-mortem examination confirmed that her death resulted from the stab injuries.
During the incident, Fioletti injured himself by stabbing his stomach, which exposed his intestines.
In police interviews, he claimed to have been 'completely out of control' and unaware of the extent of the stabbing, only realizing later that Stephanie was badly hurt.
Although he admitted to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, he denied committing murder.
His legal team argued that mental health problems played a role in his actions, whereas prosecutors asserted that the motive was his inability to cope with the end of their seven-month relationship.
Detective inspector Mark Jenkins described the attack as brutal and violent, expressing condolences to Stephanie's children and family and hoping that justice offers some solace.
Fioletti was detained and charged after the killing in May, with the trial spanning four weeks.
