Sick ‘hair fetishist’ hacks mum to death then leaves children to find her body

Italian national Danilo Restivo was found guilty in just five hours yesterday by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of the murder of Heather Barnett, 48, in 2002.

The 39-year-old was also linked during his trial to the murder of 16-year-old Elisa Claps in Italy in 1993, who was killed using the same “hallmark” method.

The trial heard that Restivo entered the flat of his neighbour Mrs Barnett, in Bournemouth, Dorset, in November 2002 and bludgeoned her with a hammer before cutting her throat.

He then cut off her breasts and left a clump of someone else’s hair in her right hand and some of her own underneath her left hand in the carefully planned ritualistic murder considered unique by detectives.

He left the body for Mrs Barnett’s children, Caitlin, then 11, and Terry, then 14, to find in the bathroom.

Restivo even claimed he comforted the horrified youngsters as they fled the scene just as he arrived home opposite.

The jury of five women and seven men agreed with the prosecution that the manner of Mrs Barnett’s murder was Restivo’s “hallmark” and linked the killing to the murder of Elisa, who disappeared in Potenza, Italy, in September 1993, even though he was not charged with it.

Michael Bowes QC, prosecuting, told the court: “The prosecution’s case is that the circumstances in which Elisa Claps was killed so closely resemble the circumstances in which Heather Barnett was killed that you can have no doubt that both of the killings must have been the work of one person - that is Danilo Restivo.”

Speaking outside court yesterday, Mrs Barnett’s sister, Denise Le Voir, said she was a feisty woman with a sense of humour who loved her children very, very much.

“Heather would have been horrified by the cruel and callous way Danilo Restivo designed her murder and mutilation so her children would find her body on return from school.”

She called the killer arrogant and said the media spotlight should be on him and not her sister’s family.

She said that both the Claps and Barnett families were happy Restivo was now behind bars.

Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, who the led the investigation, said the inquiry had been “complex and challenging”.

“This was a horrendous and brutal murder and I cannot even begin to describe him (Restivo),” he said.

All 12 members of the jury chose to return to court this morning to hear Restivo’s sentence.

Some of the jurors wept as they heard the victim impact statements read on behalf of Mrs Barnett’s daughter and sister.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Burnett told Restivo the murder was so serious that no minimum term would be appropriate.

“The seriousness of this offence is exceptionally high - namely the depravity of the killing, the careful planning and preparation, its sexual content and the previous killing of Elisa Claps - drive me to the conclusion that the alternative starting point (for a minimum prison term) of 30 years would not be appropriate.

“I can find no mitigation in this case, none have been advanced on your behalf.

“There is, in my judgment, no minimum period which could be properly set - you will never be released from prison.”

Mr Burnett described the crime was of “inhuman depravity”, made worse by the fact that Restivo would have known his victim’s children would find her body.

He said: “You knew an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy would find their mother butchered on the bathroom floor.

“This feature of the case will haunt those who sat through it.

“Why you picked Heather Barnett as your victim I do not know but it’s clear that you did so to satisfy a sadistic, sexual appetite.

“The evidence in this case shows you are a cold, depraved, calculated killer.”

Restivo is now subject to a European Arrest Warrant and is expected to be extradited back to Italy - where the case has attracted huge interest - to stand trial for Elisa’s murder.

Restivo, wearing a suit and tie, showed no emotion as he heard the sentence and the statements read on behalf of his victim’s family.

In her statement, Mrs Barnett’s daughter Caitlin Marsh, 19, said that life “changed forever” for her and her brother Terry, 23, when their mother was killed.

She described the “horror” of finding her mother’s body and being told by police that she was dead.

She said: “It was at that moment that I felt as if my heart had been ripped out. I was in a state of complete and utter shock and it took months before I accepted the truth.

“I understood the words used but I felt that things like this don’t happen to people like my mum.”

Ms Marsh described how her brother became her “protector” but she was traumatised by what had happened.

She said: “I used to have nightmares and flashbacks reminding me of the events of the 12th November.

“I also don’t like going into bathrooms. I used to think that someone might be waiting for me. Now I just hold a fear of what’s behind the bathroom door.

“It was several years before I accepted the help of a child psychologist to help me cope with what happened that day.”

She added: “My mum is no longer able to help me celebrate my successes and pull me through the disappointments.

“I will never get the chance again to tell her how much I love her and how much I now miss her.

“The only person that I can fully trust and rely upon now is Terry. My mum has been taken from me.

“The home I had shared with my mum was now tainted with someone else’s violent actions. I have not been back there since and cannot face even going near our old front door. It reminds me too much of the horror that awaited my brother and I to find.”

She added that she had not allowed herself to become a “victim”.

Describing Restivo, Miss Marsh, who sat in the court today to face her mother’s killer, said: “I feel a great anger at him. Without him she’d still be here.

“How could he intrude into our safe and happy family home and then take everything from us in such a horrific and callous way?”

She continued: “A particularly difficult day was when I first saw Danilo sat in the witness box, looking up into the public gallery.

“This was the first time I had come face-to-face with mum’s killer. He showed no emotion and no remorse.

“I still do not have any explanation for why this happened to mum. What did she do wrong? Why was mum his victim?”

Speaking outside court, Denise Le Voir and Ben Barnett - Mrs Barnett’s sister and brother - welcomed the sentence.

Ms Le Voir said: “It seems to have been a highly unusual case throughout and we were really pleased to hear the judge decide it really warranted a whole life term so he will never be a danger to the public again.”

She described how they had chosen, along with Caitlin, to sit in the main court in order to look Restivo in the eye.

She said: “I was getting no reaction from Mr Restivo at all, he was quite impassive. That goes with the kind of person he is, cold and callous.

“Caitlin was very keen to be in the court, she did want to look at Mr Restivo, but there was no chance of looking him in the eye because there was no recognition from him.

“Caitlin has seen justice for her mother, which is the most important thing.”

Mr Barnett added: “I could see no other sentence that would fit.

“The man is dangerous to society and needs to be taken out of society.

“If that is the most a court can give him, then justice has been served.”

Mr Barnett added that their thoughts are with the Claps family, who will attending the funeral of Elisa tomorrow.

He said: “This is not the end because we are very concerned about what has happened to the Claps family and hope to see the trial for her case take place soon.”

Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, of Dorset Police, said: “Today was a fantastic result for the family. Hopefully, they will be able to begin to bring some closure to all this.”

Describing Restivo, he added: “I do not think we are dealing with an ordinary person of sound mind.

“Who knows what he is thinking? All I know is he is in the right place now.”