Story By: Sara Zhivkova, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

A man supposedly under house arrest over the fact that he had violently abused his estranged wife for years has been arrested after continuing to stalk her and then killing her with an axe.

Tragic mum-of-four Debora Saltori, 42, was allegedly murdered by her ex-husband Lorenzo Cattoni, 39, in the municipality of Cortesano in the northern Italian province of Trento on 22th February.

According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect hit Deborah in the neck with a small axe, severing her carotid artery and causing her to bleed to death.

He reportedly attempted to kill himself shortly afterwards, but a local farmer raised the alarm after seeing Cattoni walking out of a shed covered in blood.

Cattoni was attended to by the ambulance and volunteer firefighters from the village, but there was nothing they could do.

Soon a rescue team arrived by helicopter and Cattoni was transported to hospital by the police.

According to local media, Cattoni was under house arrest in his parents’ home in the town of Piana Rotaliana after being tried for repeated violence against the victim over the years.

Some of the alleged beatings left the woman with broken bones and the abuse did not even stop during her pregnancy with their child.

He obtained a permit to work on the land at the very farm where Deborah and her children moved to after separating.

Deborah had four children aged 17, 16, 14 and four and a half years. The suspect is the father of the youngest.

Cattoni is still hospitalised in critical condition at the Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Trento Police Headquarters.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.