Argentinian stabs his mother-in-law to death before suicide leap from car park

A MURDERER flew into the UK deliberately to attack the family of his estranged wife and armed himself with a knife before arriving at their home in West Yorkshire, police revealed last night.

Sebastian Mercante, a 40-year-old Argentinian, flew from Spain, before hiring a car and confronting his mother-in-law, Carol Berry at her home in Bradley Road, Huddersfield.

As the 66-year-old mother-of-four unwittingly opened the door to him on Friday night she was hacked to death on her own doorstep.

The muscular, bald-headed killer fled after also viciously stabbing her 36-year-old son Andrew Field, who bravely tried to fend off the attack on his mother.

A police source said: “It’s my understanding that he had not been around in this country for long before this happened. He certainly wasn’t coming over for a chat. He had come across specifically to carry out this act.’’

Mercante, a Tenerife resident, then drove 30 miles to a multi-storey car park in central Manchester where he scrawled an obscene message to his estranged wife Claire Tootill, 31, before evading a car park worker and leaping 100ft to his death.

On Ms Tootill’s Friends Reunited entry she talks affectionately about happier times and how she has “met a wonderful Argentine fella (Sebastian) who’s now my husband. He’s teaching me Spanish (still!) aaaarrrrggghhhh! Currently working as a departmental manager for an imports company in Tenerife. After completing my biology degree in 2003 I moved out here to Spain.’’

The death has come as a double blow to the local community still reeling from the death of shopkeeper Gurmail Singh, murdered in a robbery just two miles away last month.

A middle-aged female neighbour of Ms Berry, who did not wish to be named, said: “Carol was a lovely person. She was a proud mother and grandmother. She was pleased as punch when Claire had her baby last year.

“The whole family must be devastated. I really feel for them. We still can’t believe it happened, especially as it’s so soon after Mr Singh’s death. You really don’t expect things like that to happen.

“Its so awful that someone would think of doing that to get back at Claire. It just doesn’t make sense. I’d heard they’d had a nasty break-up, but to do this is unthinkable."

Neighbours, still shocked after the tragic events of Friday night, say blonde Carol was a family woman who didn’t socialise much with the rest of the street but was always friendly and kind.

Last night a police spokesman said: “A post mortem has revealed Ms Berry died of multiple stab wounds. Mr Field received stab wounds to his neck and hands and is recovering in hospital.’’

Ms Berry’s semi-detached bungalow remained cordoned off by police yesterday and a bloodstained handprint could still be seen on the side door. The property was well-shielded from view by conifers, and neighbours said the owner “kept herself to herself”.

One said: “If I saw her walking down the street, I wouldn’t recognise her.”

Another who had lived in Bradley Road for 22 years did not know the victim.

In Manchester, the spot from where the killer jumped was unguarded and more blood could clearly be seen on railings. The recently-built car park is part of the city’s main transport interchange.

Police remained outside the murder scene all day, parked next to a black Nissan pick-up, believed to belong to Mr Field.