British man kills partner in Italy after row over cheating

A British man named Michael Whitbread has been involved in a violent incident in Italy, resulting in his partner Michele Faiers, a 66-year-old woman, being stabbed to death. Whitbread, who admitted to stabbing Michele seven times in her back at their secluded cottage, claimed that the violence was sparked by accusations of infidelity. Whitbread has confessed to the crime, stating, 'I stabbed her, I don’t remember how many times,' and he tried to cast blame on Michele’s accusations, alleging that she accused him of cheating after he allegedly saw him patting another woman’s bottom at a New Year’s Eve party in 2022. The horror unfolded in October 2023 in Verratti, in the Abruzzo region. Her body was found by a friend who had not heard from her for days, covered in blood and with multiple stab wounds. Whitbread fled the scene, driving through Switzerland and France to reach the UK, where he was arrested in Shepshed, Leicestershire, on suspicion of murder. The trial in Italy began in November 2023, with Whitbread claiming that ongoing conflicts and accusations led to a violent altercation. A psychiatric evaluation suggested he was prone to depression, irritability, and obsessive behavior, with the defense arguing that a psychiatric illness contributed to his actions. The victim’s family dismissed Whitbread’s claims, describing Michele as a vibrant woman and condemning Whitbread’s actions as pure violence and murder.