Double killer stabbed girlfriend and her dad to death
A double killer is facing years behind bars for stabbing his partner and her father to death in a ‘ferocious’ knife attack.
Achilleas Costa, 53, admitted killing Fernanda Assis, 31, and her dad Joanilson Souza De Assis, 61, at their home in Mayes Road, Wood Green, north London, on 28 November 2021.
Costa appeared at the Old Bailey wearing a white shirt and blue jeans as he denied two charges of murder but admitted two charges of manslaughter.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, KC, said: ‘The psychiatric evidence has been served. The effect of which is that it is agreed between the experts that due to the defendant’s mental health, the partial defence of diminished responsibility is available to them.
‘The prosecution have determined that those pleas are acceptable and we therefore do not seek to pursue the charges for murder.’
Earlier the prosecutor said police and paramedics were called to the address in Mayes Road after Costa was found ‘behaving strangely’ on 28 November 2021.
‘Police were called and from remarks he made at the scene it became apparent that he had been involved in an incident of serious violence,’ said Mr Emlyn Jones.
‘He gave an address to the police and on attending that address they found the bodies of the two victims, each of whom had been stabbed many many times in what was a ferocious attack.
‘The fact that they died at the defendant’s hands is, on the face of it, uncontroversial.’
Costa, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on 31 March.
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