Former Italian footballer, Giovanni Padovani, has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend.
He was convicted of multi-aggravated voluntary homicide for killing Alessandra Matteuzzi, 56, outside her home in Bologna on August 23, 2022.
Padovani, who played for a lower-league team in Senigallia, had a tumultuous relationship with Matteuzzi, who was nearly three decades older than him. After she broke up with him, he became obsessed with her and stalked her for months.
On the day of the murder, Padovani attacked Matteuzzi with a hammer and an iron bench, causing a fatal brain haemorrhage. He was arrested shortly after the crime and he confessed to the police.
During the trial, he claimed he was not lucid at the time of the attack and asked for a psychiatric evaluation, but the court rejected his request.
The prosecution sought the maximum penalty for Padovani, arguing that the murder was premeditated, motivated by useless reasons, and aggravated by the emotional ties between the victim and the perpetrator.
The defence tried to portray Padovani as a troubled young man who acted impulsively and regretted his actions.
On February 12, 2024, the judge delivered the verdict: life imprisonment without parole for 51 years.
Padovani accepted his guilt and punishment. Matteuzzi’s sister, who witnessed the attack on the phone, was in attendance at the trial.
