Italian Footballer Jailed For Life For Beating Ex-Girlfriend To Death

An Italian model and footballer, who stalked and beat his ex-girlfriend to death with a hammer, has been jailed for life, Metro reported. Giovanni Padovani, a 28-year-old former central defender who played for Sancataldese, was handed a life sentence on Monday, for murdering his ex-girlfriend Alessandra Matteuzzi in 2022. 

The footballer beat Ms Matteuzzi, 56, with a hammer, baseball bat, and a bench after she reported him for stalking outside her home in August 2022 in Bologna. Ms Matteuzzi's sister Stefania, who was on the phone with her during the attack, heard her screams for help as she was assaulted by Padovani.

Ms Stefania told a local TV station: ''She got out of her car and started screaming, ''No Giovanni, no, I beg you, help I was on the phone. I immediately called the [police] who arrived straight away.''

Despite initially surviving the assault, Ms Matteuzzi succumbed to severe injuries in the hospital. 

Notably, the footballer had travelled to Bologna, northern Italy, and waited outside her property after being advised by his team to skip a training session. Following their breakup, he had been bombarding her with messages and calls and also attempted to climb up her balcony. 

A neighbour said, ''She was very afraid of him because he had become persistent and she didn't want to let him in the house.''

During the trial, Padovani claimed he was not mentally sound at the time of the attack, stating that a person in a healthy state of mind would not commit such a crime.

He said: "If I was completely lucid and capable I deserve life in prison. But if you consider that there is something abnormal, anomalous, in the conduct, then no. I wasn't well, because a person who is well doesn't kill another human being. I'm in a nightmare, I'm sorry, this is a bigger burden than prison.''