Calogero Ricotta denies murdering his wife and her son in Ugley, Essex. He claims self defense, blaming the son for the attacks.
Prosecutors say Ricotta stabbed Maria many times on May 28, 2024. He was allegedly angry that she wanted a divorce. Then, he allegedly stabbed her son, Giuseppe, who tried to help his mother. Ricotta claims they attacked him first.
Ricotta testified in court on Thursday. He was born in Italy and moved to the UK at age 16. He married Maria in 2009 after meeting her while working on her house. Ricotta cried several times while he was on the stand.
Ricotta said they had problems with her son, Giuseppe, who struggled with drug addiction and was involved in criminal cases. Ricotta took photos of Maria’s bank account and diary. He admitted taking over £200,000 from their joint account.
He described an event from September 10, 2023, where Giuseppe confronted him in the garden. They argued, and it became physical. Ricotta said Maria hit him with a fork from the kitchen during the argument.
Ricotta talked about the day of the deaths, stating the fight started over barking dogs. He told Maria to control the dogs, and she told him to leave if he didn’t like it. He testified that she started pushing him and Giuseppe threatened to kill him.
Ricotta stated Giuseppe tried to stab him, and he saw blood on himself. He tried to take the knife. The next thing he knew, Maria was stabbed and on the floor of the house. Giuseppe kept stabbing her, Ricotta claimed.
Ricotta said he grabbed the knife, then lost his memory and was on the floor covered in blood. He denies stabbing Maria and doesn’t remember stabbing Giuseppe. He also denied running away from the scene.
The prosecutor says Ricotta was controlling and accused him of always getting his way, which Ricotta denied. The prosecutor says Maria was scared of him, but Ricotta does not think she was and said they were together for years.
The prosecutor stated the fight was not about dogs, but about Maria standing up for herself. In response, Ricotta only thought about himself and did nothing to help them, deciding to blame Giuseppe for everything. Ricotta denied this accusation.
The trial is ongoing in court.