Balaclava killer who bludgeoned and killed friend and his fiancée locked up

25 October 2023 , 12:03

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Andrea Cardinale (Image: Cleveland Police)

A balaclava-clad killer who bludgeoned his friend to death in his home with a sledgehammer before dragging his fiancéinto a basement has been given an unlimited hospital order for the horrifying attack.

Andrea Cardinale killed pal Antonino Calabro and Fransesca Di Dio, 20, at their home in Thornaby, Teesside, four days before Christmas last year. The couple had been asleep in bed when Cardinale, 22, went into their room unleashing a torrent of violence.

He then bludgeoned and stabbed 26-year-old Antonino before chasing Fransesca before stabbing her to death. Cardinale had been suffering from an extreme bout of paranoid schizophrenia at the time, and was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Antonio, known as 'Nino', had come from the same part of Italy as the killer, and the two had been friends, Teesside crown court heard, and had come to the UK from Sicily in 2019 to work in a casino, sharing the home in a converted pub. Fransesca meanwhile had been visiting her fiancé for the Christmas holiday when she was killed.

Antonino, known as Nino, died of his injuries (Cleveland Police)

Francesca Di Dio, 20, was visiting her boyfriend Nino for Christmas at the time (Cleveland Police)

Cardinale, who was described in court as "introverted", was up late on the night of the killings and had researched "how to break voodoo spells". He had also previously researched "nearby knife shops" and "how to make bombs". Nick Dry, prosecuting, told the court: "It was then that he entered the unlocked room of Nino and Francesca. Asleep in bed.

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"Nino was bludgeoned to death. Francesca left the room, literally running for her life. The defendant can be seen on CCTV chasing Francesca upstairs. He was wearing a balaclava and carrying a knife."

Concerns had already been raised about his state of mind, with the two friends having travelled back to Siciliy a month prior where Cardinale's family urged him to stay, before his mother bought him a plane ticket to return home for Christmas which he ignored. He also told his father he was being watched by "the evil eye" and claimed he was hearing voices.

His father had come to England to visit Cardinale at the time, Mr Dry said, while his uncle was also in contact with him. The court heard the defendant ordered a sledgehammer online days before the killing, which was later used to inflict fatal head injuries on Nino.

Nino and girlfriend Fransesca (Facebook)

Fransesca was visiting Nino at the time of the attacks (Facebook)

Pathologist Dr Louise Mulcahy told the court: “The scale of the damage suggests he would have survived no longer than half an hour,” adding that the attack on Fransesca "caused bleeding and a lack of oxygen to the brain".

Cardinale was later arrested when his father - who was staying in a hotel at the time - visited the home. Officers arresting him took him to hospital after he told them that he had taken an overdose. He later told police he believed his friends had been conjuring and placing curses up on him, which had ruined his life.

A judge at the court on Thursday detained Cardinale to a secure hospital, Teesside Live reports, saying it would not be appropriate to jail him. His Honour Judge Paul Watson said the order was "without limitations of time".

He told Cardinale: "It will have to be a matter for clinical management as to when, if ever, your condition has been sufficiently managed to enable you to return to the community. I make it clear that what is envisaged is your treatment in hospital, in secure conditions, for a very long time."

Following the sentencing, detective chief inspector Peter Carr from Cleveland Police homicide and major enquiry team (HMET) said Cardinale had been suffering "significant mental impairment at the time of the killings". "These tragedies have been horrific for both families to endure and will have a lasting impact upon them for the rest of their lives," he said.

"I would like to praise both for their patience and support throughout the investigation and the judicial process," he said. Whilst we can never bring back Nino and Francesca, we hope that today’s outcome can provide some form of comfort and our thoughts remain with both of their families at this extremely difficult time."

Esther Halligan