Jealous estranged husband flew to Britain in rage and stabbed mother-in-law to death

After murdering Carol Berry, 66, and stabbing her son Andrew Field, at their Huddersfield home, Argentinian former soldier Sebastian Mercante drove to a car park and leapt to his death.

Mercante, who lived in Tenerife, had flown to Britain in a murderous rage possibly because his estranged wife Claire Tootill, whom he had married in 2005, was seeing a new man.

Mr Field was at home with his mother when Mercante forced his way into the property as he looked for his estranged wife before attacking the pair.

He stabbed Mr Field, 36, in the neck and inflicted fatal wounds on Ms Berry, an inquest in Huddersfield heard yesterday.

Ms Tootill, 31, who attended the hearing but was too upset to talk afterwards, had asked him for a divorce.

Mercante, 40, drove from the hotel where he was staying in Manchester and committed the murder on March 5 this year at the two-bedroom property where Mr Field and Ms Berry lived.

The inquest into the two deaths heard a rucksack found on Mercante contained knives, cable ties, duct tape and a balaclava.

In a statement read at the inquest Mr Field said he and his mother were at home at about 6.30pm when he noticed a security light had gone on and became suspicious something was wrong.

He said: "I picked up one of my golf clubs for my own protection in case it was a prowler outside.

"Before I had a chance to push down on the door handle it was pushed down from the outside, so fast that it knocked me back.

"As he was half way through the door I began to push back to keep him out.

"I placed both my hand over his face and tried to gouge out his eyes. I was doing everything I could to keep him out but he was so strong.

"I then had a weird sensation in my neck. I felt air coming out of my neck and saw I had blood on my jumper. I knew I had been stabbed with something.

"I then heard my mum shout 'Sebastian, stop it.' It was only then I realised who this man was. I shouted 'mum, he's stabbed me'."

His mother, who was in the hallway during the struggle, told him to get help.

"The last time he saw her, she was struggling with Mercante, who knifed her as her son sought help.

Mr Field, who did not attend the inquest, added in the statement: "I can't think of any reason why Sebastian Mercante has done this, other than that Claire has left him and he may be jealous that she has a new relationship."

After the murder Mercante drove to a car park in Manchester where he was seen on the top floor by a security guard, James Cliff, standing near the edge.

Mr Cliff said: "I asked him to come back over the fence and he just said 'go away'."

As he was telling somebody what was happening he heard a loud noise and realised Mercante had fallen to his death.

The inquest was told that Ms Berry's death was caused by three stab wounds to her neck, chest and abdomen.

Coroner Roger Whittaker recorded her death as an unlawful killing and Mercante's as suicide.