A controlling builder who served his wife and stepson hours after she had served dividing papers to him, 'slaughtered', was convicted today for their murders.
Sicilian born Calogero Ricotta, 64, had a furious argument with Maria Nugara, 54, in their Million Pound Family Home and stabbed her while she screamed for help.
Her son Giuseppe Morreale, 29, ran from her first marriage, ran inside and jumped on the back of his stepfather but was stabbed.
A youth in the detached house in Ulley, Essex, which cannot be called for legal reasons, was stabbed in the hand when he tried to intervene.
Cowardly Ricotta tried to blame Giuseppe, known as Joe, and said he had feared for his life, while his stepson was eradicated him with a knife but accidentally stabbed his mother.
But the jury – which only started considering this morning after a three -week process after a three -week process – found him unanimously guilty of both murders and actually physical injury in the case of the youth.
At the start of the trial last month, they were told how the suspect had previously threatened: “Death or alive, you don't leave this marriage.”
Ricotta condemning to life with a term of office at least 34 years behind bars, Mrs Justice Mary Stacey said that mother-of-four Mrs. Nugara had endured the storms and continued to smile ', while her son was' chosen … for Savage Beatings'.
Giuseppe, also known as Joe, with his mother Maria. Ricotta tried to blame the 29-year-old and said he had feared for his life while his stepszoon expanded him with a knife
Giuseppe Morreale (photo) tried to prevent the attack of his father Calogero Ricotta before he and his mother Maria Nugara were both stabbed
Ricotta (photo) was sentenced to a term of office of at least 34 years behind bars
She described how they were 'gender … like animals', added: “You said you would kill Mary if she separated from you. We now know that this was true. '
The judge added: 'You use use and compulsive behavior to control Mary. Your vanity, pride and ego meant that you would not agree with a divorce. Instead, you tried to intimidate Mary to stay in a unloving marriage.
“By killing your wife, you effectively pointed out your children.”
Senior research officer Detective inspector Lydia George said that Ricotta was “calculating, controlling and violent,” and added: “His claims of self-defense were completely dismantled by the evidence.”
Two of the brothers and sisters of Giuseppe said in a victim impact statement that was read on their behalf: “They were killed in the most horrible way that only a coward could inflict his own family.”
Mrs. Nugara was 'friendly, caring and smart, with a cracking sense of humor', they added, while their brother was a 'enthusiast for everything that life had to offer'.
The double murder took place on 28 May last year, hours after the lawyers of Mrs. Nugara had emailed divorce papers to serve with her husband.
Ricotta, who wore a smart gray chalk strip suite during the trial while he was sitting next to an Italian interpreter, almost started to argue with his wife as soon as she entered the house after she visited a daughter in Hoddesdon.
The fatal attack followed within a few minutes and the youth heard her screaming for help in the living room before Giuseppe came down to find his mother 'against the couch' with ricotta 'who stood over her and just stabbed her'.
“Joe jumped on his back and was put in the stomach,” the boy told the police in an interview.
Mrs. Nugara and her son were on the floor with 'blood everywhere' while Ricotta 'was cutting her and did things in her neck, “he remembered.
He got a broom and hit the suspect with it, but ran away when the knife was directed to him.
Evil Ricotta was calming the six-inch long knife in the kitchen and changed his clothes stained with blood before going outside to meet the police, who was called by another woman in the house.
“He seemed angry but also glad he had taken revenge,” the boy told officers.
Post-Mortem exams discovered that Mrs. Nugara 14 had stab wounds and 44 Incise wounds on her body, front, sides, hands and back.
One 'gaping Incise wound', which cuts through her voicebox, both neck veins and a carotid artery in her neck, would have 'caused uncontrollable blood loss and rapid death'.
Her son had breast and necksels that would have made him unconscious within a few minutes and dead within a few minutes.
The couple was declared dead on the spot after paramedics and the police fought in vain to save them.
Maria Nugara (photo) was 'friendly, caring and smart, with a cracking sense of humor', two of the brothers and sisters of Giuseppe said
The brothers and sisters of Giuseppe described him as an 'enthusiastic for everything that life had to offer'
A youth in the detached house in Ulley, Essex, which cannot be called for legal reasons, was stabbed in the hand when he tried to intervene
Public Prosecutor Simon Spence KC opened the case to the Crown Court of Chelmsford and said: 'The background of this tragic and violent incident was the always unfortunate marriage between the suspect and his wife, causing them to take steps for a separation of him to get and what to be achieved and what to achieve and what to achieve. Financial independence.
“Both are things that we say that the suspect did not want to happen and he tried to prevent.”
The couple were both married before and married each other on Mrs. Nugara's 39th birthday in May 2009, but started sleeping in individual bedrooms when their relationship deteriorated, jury members were told.
Mrs. Nugara took care of the paperwork of a house that had things that she walked with her husband who owned different rental properties.
The boy said that Giuseppe had a 'difficult relationship' with his stepfather and was physically abused by him in the past.
Ricotta with Mrs. Nugara. The couple were both married before and married each other on Mrs. Nugara's 39th birthday in May 2009, but had started sleeping in separate bedrooms after their relationship deteriorated
Tensions increased in the marriage of the couple in 2022 when Ricotta's adult daughter came to live in the house with 'a large number of dogs', against Mrs. Nugara's objection
One incident left the younger man with bruises and the police were called. Allegedly, Ricotta threatened to cut his throat with a chainsaw on another occasion.
Ricotta and his wife regularly argued, the boy added, including a 'big argument' in April last year, which also led to the police being called.
Tensions increased in the marriage of the couple in 2022 when Ricotta's adult daughter came to live in the house with 'a large number of dogs', to which Mrs. Nugara objected.
She regularly trusted a long-term friend, Sylvia James, unveiled in a WhatsApp message on the day of her death that her husband had warned that she should stay with him or that she “should tackle the consequences.”
Before that, Mrs. Nugara told her friend that her husband had threatened to kill her and bury her in the garden.
In a police interview, Ricotta admitted that he discussed divorce with his wife and they had both informed lawyers – but insisted that the marriage was 'in the dark' when she continued to change his mind.
He tried to blame Giuseppe for the massacre and told officers that got out of hand when he “came down with the knife.”
Ricotta (depicted, right) committed the double murder on May 28 after Mrs. Nugara's lawyer (left, left)
A set of broken goal posts in the garden of the family in Ulley, Essex
In court, Ricotta continued to claim that he had been attacked and said: 'He [Giuseppe] Layed to me with a knife. He kept lunging to me and I believe it is at this point that he touched Mary with the knife.
“I was completely afraid of Giuseppe's actions.”
Graham Trembarth KC, defensive, said jury members that they 'keep open and all realistic possible alternatives must consider' about what actually happened.
But Mr. Spence said: 'These murders were illegal and not in self -defense. If you look at the pattern of injuries, the intention must be to kill or at least cause serious damage.
