Hammersmith woman admits manslaughter

Jury hears recording of man stabbed 111 times

A Hammersmith woman has admitted stabbing her uncle to death with a knife and a pair of scissors after a jury were played a mobile phone recording of his murder.

Dental assistant Eduardo Mendoza, 49, was stabbed 111 times before dying in agony at his Hammersmith home in a 20-minute ordeal.

Mr Mendoza's niece, Maria Calero, 21, admitted the killing halfway through the month-long trial, pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

She was remanded in custody for reports before being sentenced on July 21. She had originally been charged with murder.

Her father, Ricardo, 48, and brother, Richard, 20, from Fulham, collapsed in tears on Monday after being cleared of alternative charges of murder and manslaughter.

Nicholas Hilliard QC, prosecuting, told the jury the recording was very distressing. "You will hear someone being murdered," he said.

Calero was heard saying: "He raped me, he raped me" as Mr Mendoza took his last gasps of breath.

Mr Hilliard said Calero had been sent to live with her uncle when she was 13. Her allegation of abuse had emerged two years later but she told police nothing happened and it was not pursued.