A BRIT who admitted to stabbing his partner seven times in the back has after she claimed him a “cheat”.
Michael Whitbread, 75, confessed to the chilling crime at their secluded cottage in rural Italy, tried to blame his partner’s accusations for the gruesome killing.
FacebookBrit man Michael Whitbread, 75, confessed to stabbing his partner Michele Faiers to death[/caption]
FacebookThe grandmother was discovered lying in blood with seven stab wounds[/caption]
GoogleMichele and Whitbread relocated from the UK to their dream home in Italy in 2015[/caption]
The former diving instructor claimed he killed Michele after she accused him of cheating
The horror killing of Michele Faiers, 66, unfolded in October 2023 at their home in Verratti, in the central region of Abruzzo.
Her body was found by a concerned friend, who alerted authorities after not hearing from her for several days.
The grandmother had been stabbed multiple times in the back, and her body was discovered lying in a pool of blood, covered with a white sheet.
Whitbread fled the scene after the killing, reportedly driving 1,259 miles through Switzerland and France before arriving at his daughter’s home in the UK.
He was arrested in Shepshed, Leicestershire, on suspicion of murder and remained in custody as the trial continued in Italy.
Whitbread, who had moved to Italy with Michele in 2015 after selling their scuba diving school in Torquay, claimed in court that he was driven to violence after months of accusations that he had an affair.
“I stabbed her, I don’t remember how many times,” Whitbread confessed, describing the escalating tensions in their relationship, reports The Times.
The former diving instructor said Michele accused him of having an affair after she allegedly saw him patting another woman’s bottom at a New Year’s Eve party in 2022.
Whitbread, who denied the accusations, claimed the ongoing rows turned violent.
“It was an odd clip round the head, then it got worse,” he told the court.
Whitbread however has been accused by another witness of being abusive to Michele – with a friend revealing he once allegedly left her covered in bruises after a row.
And her family have accused the self-confessed killer of trying to shift the blame for his crimes.
The family lawyer, Nadia Germana Tascona, acknowledged Whitbread’s confession but rejected his claims of provocation.
“Based on the evidence, obviously not,” she said when asked if Whitbread was the victim of bullying.
“We don’t believe things went the way he described them.”
She was a mother, a grandmother, a vibrant woman. And he was a weak, weak man
Michele’s brother Norman
Michele’s brother, Norman, 73, dismissed Whitbread’s claims as an attempt to shift blame.
“He is obviously trying to paint my sister as some kind of banshee, but that isn’t true.
“She was a mother, a grandmother, a vibrant woman. And he was a weak, weak man. There is no excuse for what he did. It was violent, it was murder.”
Her sister, Trina, 63, said their elderly mother, aged 96, was devastated.
“She had a good relationship with Michael. All of us did. We trusted him, and he murdered Michele — and she did nothing wrong.”
The couple had moved to Italy after retiring in 2015Facebook
Ashley KirkWhitbread was arrested at his daughter’s home in Shepshed in Leicestershire[/caption]
On the night of October 28, 2023, Whitbread said Michele woke him, hitting him and saying: “I wish you were dead.”
He alleged she kicked him and tried to push him down the stairs before he grabbed a knife in panic.
“She kicked me in the intimate parts and was trying to push me down the stairs. I thought: she’s going to cut me. That is when I grabbed the knife in panic,” he claimed.
Michele was found lying on her bed with seven stab wounds to her back.
Whitbread then fled the scene, driving back to the UK.
British police, tipped off by his daughter, tracked him down, leading to his extradition to Italy and the start of his trial in November 2023.
A psychiatric evaluation presented by his defence described Whitbread as sociable but prone to depression, irritability, and obsessive behaviour.
Psychiatrist Raffaele de Leonardis said: “I believe this crime was the result of a psychiatric illness.”
She told police that Michele had stayed at her home in early October 2023 after Whitbread allegedly beat her during a row, leaving her covered in bruises.
“She hit me and I had to defend myself. That is where the marks came from,” Whitbread said in court, denying he had assaulted Michele.
Michele’s three daughters attended the hearing, holding each other as Whitbread described the killing.
The presiding judge has ordered a psychological study of Whitbread as the trial continues.
FacebookThe last picture Michele shared was of a sunset from her home in Italy, on October 25[/caption]
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