UK - Nino Calabrò, 25, Francesca Di Dio, 21, Italian couple found dead in a flat in Thornaby, Teeside, 21 December 2022 *Arrest*

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AcbMurders

AcbMurders

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www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Sicilian couple found dead in North East flat named in Italian media reports

The two people found dead in a flat in the North East have been identified in Italian media as an engaged couple originally from Sicily.
www.thenorthernecho.co.uk www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Concern was raised about the whereabouts of Francesca Di Dio and Nino Calabrò after family and friends were unable to contact the pair.

Nino Calabrò, who worked at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton, is believed to be aged 25 while his young partner, Francesca, is aged 20, according to reports.

Cleveland Police officers are still working at the block of flats on Thornaby Road, Thornaby, today, after the couple’s bodies were found in a flat at around 2.10pm yesterday (Tuesday 21).

Mr Calabrò has been living and working on Teesside since December 2019 when he started work as a croupier at the casino.

His partner is believed to come from Sicily a few weeks ago to visit him on Teesside over the Christmas period.

(…)

Miss Di Dio is believed to be originally from Montagnareale, on Sicily, while Mr Calabrò originally hails from nearby Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.

At this time, a 21-year-old man remains in police custody. He has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
 
1671771129534.png

www.dailymail.co.uk

Teeside murder victims identified as Italian couple

Nino Calabro, 25, was working in a casino in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham and Francesco Di Dio (pictured together this month), 21, his girlfriend, was visiting him.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
''A stunned local man from Stockton said: 'Nino had been living in Stockton and was working at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton.

'He was a lovely guy and was really popular with punters, there is a real feeling of shock that something like this has happened to him, no one can imagine why.

'Francesca is a student and was over visiting Nino, it's really horrifying that two gorgeous young people have lost their lives like this.'''


''The pair were engaged in 2019 and posted on social media of their excitement that Francesca would be visiting over the Christmas period.

The last picture of the two was on December 7, in Stockton's Thomas Sheraton pub.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Carr, said: 'A man and woman have sadly died and a man remains in police custody in connection with the incident.

'I would like to appeal to anyone who may have been passing the flats on Thornaby Road, which were formerly known as The Royal George Pub, between 10am and 11am on Wednesday 21st December. If anyone was passing and saw anyone acting suspiciously or any suspicious activity, please contact us.'''
 
Chilling details from this Italian article :-(

www.ilmessaggero.it

Fidanzati italiani morti in Inghilterra: Nino Calabrò e Francesca Di Dio trovati in casa. Fermato un 21enne. Gli amici: erano innamoratissimi

Per tutta la mattina aveva provato a mettersi in contatto con il figlio. Quel ragazzo un po’ strano, che da qualche giorno aveva manifestato «malessere». Ed è toccato proprio...
www.ilmessaggero.it www.ilmessaggero.it

“All morning he had been trying to get through to his son. That somewhat strange young man who had been "unwell" for a few days. And it fell to him, the father of the twenty-year-old who is now in prison in England because he is considered the possible perpetrator of the double murder of Nino Calabrò and Francesca Di Dio, to discover the mangled bodies of the young Sicilians aged 25 and 20, killed in Thornaby-on-Tees. The story, whose motive is still to be ascertained, begins with the phone call of the parent to his son who is also Italian and who lives in the same district as Nino Calabrò. The boy's voice doesn't convince the parent, to the point of making him decide to join him in England.

The alleged killer is a friend of Nino, both are croupiers at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton-on-Tees. And they also live in this sort of condominium-hostel, which is located in Thornaby Road, a generally quiet area in a town that has about 30,000 inhabitants and is in the northernmost part of the country. Francesca who is engaged to Nino arrives in the town to spend a few days with him. And the father of the suspect also arrives from Italy. The evening before the crime, the couple, their friend and the parent all dine together in a restaurant. At the end of the evening, the three young people go home, the father goes to hotel. The next morning he starts calling his son with no answer, so he decides to go directly to Thornaby Road. The scene before him is gruesome: the room is full of blood, Nino and Francesca are now lifeless, and the third young man is there as if dazed.

The parent doesn't speak English, doesn't know how to get around, so he calls a policeman friend of his in Milan and tells him what happened. Interpol are alerted in Italy and the investigation begins. Cleveland police vans arrive and cordon off the crime scene. The suspect is taken to the police station for questioning. What happened is still to be reconstructed. The suspect may have acted in the grip of a fit. It is possible that he has some mental problems. Or the reasons may be dictated by other reasons: maybe jealousy, money or a quarrel, nothing is excluded.
 
Last edited:
The alleged killer has been named by Italian MSM
www.corriere.it

Coinquilino e collega di una delle vittime: chi è il sospettato del delitto dei fidanzati in Inghilterra

I sospetti ricadono su Andrea Cardinale, 21 anni, originario di Palermo. Oltre ad essere collega di Nino Calabrò era anche coinquilino. Ancora inspiegabile il movente del duplice omicidio
www.corriere.it

His name is Andrea Cardinale and he was a work colleague of Nino Calabrò. From the tight secrecy of the English investigators, the name of the 21-year-old from Palermo has been leaked. He’s arrested on suspicion of having killed Calabrò, 26, and his girlfriend Francesca Di Dio, just 20. (…) The alleged murderer, in addition to being Calabrò's work colleague, was also his flat mate. According to the investigations he hit them with a hammer for reasons that still remain unknown.
(…)
It has emerged that the young man might have had mental problems. It was the father of the alleged killer who discovered the double crime. He too was in Great Britain: he had gone to see his son. For one day he had tried to call him and, receiving no answers, had thought of going to the house, discovering the bodies. It is not clear whether the man physically entered the house with a copy of the keys, in any case he triggered the investigation machine by alerting a policeman friend in Italy.

But why were Francesca and Nino killed? While awaiting confirmation from the investigators and the version of the alleged murderer, only hypotheses can be made. Like the one that circulates in Milazzo and Montagnareale, the towns of origin of the two victims, in the Messina area. «Francesca wanted to move to England – some acquaintances say – and maybe Nino told the roommate that he had to leave the house. This may have aroused his anger.'
 
*** Man Charged in Connection with Thornaby Deaths ***

A 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with the deaths of a man and woman in Thornaby.

Cleveland Police officers discovered the bodies at a flat on Thornaby Road, Thornaby, on Wednesday 21st December.

The man and woman have now been formally identified as 26-year-old Antonino Calabro (known as Nino) and 20-year-old Francesca Di Dio, who are both from Italy. Specially trained officers are supporting both families.

The man is charged with two counts of murder and he is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates Court on Monday 26th December.

A cordon remains at the scene and this is expected to remain in place for a number of days.

*** Photos show Antonino and Francesca ***
 
Thanks for all the updates and translations @AcbMurders. Is it known whether the victims and the charged man all knew each other from way back, in Italy? Or whether the acquaintance was recent, because of working together at the casino? The presence of the charged man's father is an interesting coincidence - unless he was purely there because concerns had already been raised. Watching with interest.
 
JuicyLucy said:
Is it known whether the victims and the charged man all knew each other from way back, in Italy? Or whether the acquaintance was recent, because of working together at the casino?
Click to expand...
It seems that Nino and Andrea were good friends (see article below) but probably not childhood friends because they came from different parts of Sicily.
Nino Calabrò and Francesca Di Dio, the Messina couple found dead in an apartment in Thornaby, in North Yorkshire in Great Britain, were apparently killed with a stick. It has emerged that it was not the first time that the alleged killer was hosted by the victim: last October he had been at Nino Calabrò's family home (…) for Nino’s sister Alessandra's 18th birthday. The young croupier, who had moved to England for work three years before, had returned to Sicily to celebrate the happy event together with his family. And his roommate and former colleague, originally from Palermo, had followed him. Mamma Salvina had welcomed him into her home not even remotely imagining what would happen a few months later. Therefore, at least until October, there was no tension between the two.
(…)
A crime of unprecedented ferocity, Nino was apparently hit from behind, while his completely disfigured girlfriend suffered the worst. Perhaps in an attempt to resist the murderous rage she tried to defend herself. The father of the alleged murderer was the one who raised the alarm. The man of Iranian origin had flown to England a few hours before the crime. It seems that the son had been suffering from mental problems for some time, so the worried mother apparently asked her husband to join him.
(…)
The mystery remains about the motive for the heinous crime. It seems that Andrea had long since stopped working as a croupier. Nino knew his discomfort and had tried to help him.
(…)
In the meantime, a fundraiser has been launched on to help Francesca's families bear the costs of the funeral and the return of the body from abroad. "This fundraiser - writes Anna Carmella Niosi who organized it - was created for Francesca Di Dio, because very often words can do little, but a gesture like a small gift can make the difference and keep her memory alive. Together we can ". In a few hours, 3,600 euros were raised. Money that will be used for the repatriation of the body from England and subsequent funerals. The funeral should be celebrated in the Cathedral of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, near Messina However, there is no certainty when the bodies will be returned to Sicily.
(…)
 
www.dailymail.co.uk

Man appears in court accused of murdering casino worker and girlfriend

Andrea Cardinale, 21, has appeared in court after being arrested and charged with two counts of murder after the bodies of a man and a woman were found in Stockton on December 21.
www.dailymail.co.uk
“Cardinale appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday after his case was sent up by magistrates on Boxing Day.

Wearing a grey prison jumper, Cardinale, 21, spoke only to confirm his name, replying 'yes, that's me' when asked to confirm his details.

He will remain in custody until the next hearing on January 23.

No further details of the alleged murders are given during the short hearing.


Further details about yesterday’s hearing can be found below
www.gazettelive.co.uk

Updates as double murder accused appears at crown court

Andrea Cardinale has been charged with the murder of Antonino Calabro and Francesca Di Dio in Thornaby
www.gazettelive.co.uk www.gazettelive.co.uk
 
@JuicyLucy interesting background info from an article appeared in ‘Giornale di Sicilia’ a week ago. It looks like Andrea and Nino first met on a croupier course in 2019.

Il compagno di corso del palermitano arrestato in Inghilterra: «Considerava le ragazze oggetti sessuali»
“He saw girls as sex objects", says a course mate of the Palermo man arrested in England.

“Andrea was a friend of mine, we asked to be sent to the same destination: we would go and live with Nino in Thornaby-on-Tees (…) Then nothing came of it, we were separated and we lost touch. I wonder what would have happened if I had been there with them too.” Telling this story, and visibly emotional, is one of the young men who attended the croupier course in 2019 with Nino Calabrò, the 26-year-old from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto killed in England with 20-year old girlfriend, Francesca Di Dio, who had gone to see him where the 21-year-old Andrea Cardinale from Palermo also lived.
(…)
And today the 15 people he attended the croupier course with describe him (Andrea) as “a strange guy, perhaps with some family problems, but we would never, ever have believed that he could do something like that”. After receiving news of the double murder of Nino and Francesca, killed with hammer blows or perhaps with a baseball bat, doubts have started to creep in, especially in those who knew Andrea more closely. Like Calabrò's classmate who, on occasions, even hosted Andrea Cardinale at his house, during course breaks: “I don't know if he’s the one who committed those atrocious crimes - he explains -. One could see that he felt angry, but many show this kind of attitude, especially if they have issues. He confided in me that he had problems, but who doesn't? In retrospect, however, there were two alarm bells. The first was the way he talked about girls, he cursed them, called them s….s, in short, he considered them as sex objects. As for Nino, he said he wasn’t very bright, but I thought it was just the behavior of an immature young man. I can't find peace, maybe I could have said or done something more. Nino was a nice person, optimistic, always with a smile on his face, someone who played down every situation: I am very sorry for him”.
 
AcbMurders said:
@JuicyLucy interesting background info from an article appeared in ‘Giornale di Sicilia’ a week ago. It looks like Andrea and Nino first met on a croupier course in 2019.

Il compagno di corso del palermitano arrestato in Inghilterra: «Considerava le ragazze oggetti sessuali»
“He saw girls as sex objects", says a course mate of the Palermo man arrested in England.

“Andrea was a friend of mine, we asked to be sent to the same destination: we would go and live with Nino in Thornaby-on-Tees (…) Then nothing came of it, we were separated and we lost touch. I wonder what would have happened if I had been there with them too.” Telling this story, and visibly emotional, is one of the young men who attended the croupier course in 2019 with Nino Calabrò, the 26-year-old from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto killed in England with 20-year old girlfriend, Francesca Di Dio, who had gone to see him where the 21-year-old Andrea Cardinale from Palermo also lived.
(…)
And today the 15 people he attended the croupier course with describe him (Andrea) as “a strange guy, perhaps with some family problems, but we would never, ever have believed that he could do something like that”. After receiving news of the double murder of Nino and Francesca, killed with hammer blows or perhaps with a baseball bat, doubts have started to creep in, especially in those who knew Andrea more closely. Like Calabrò's classmate who, on occasions, even hosted Andrea Cardinale at his house, during course breaks: “I don't know if he’s the one who committed those atrocious crimes - he explains -. One could see that he felt angry, but many show this kind of attitude, especially if they have issues. He confided in me that he had problems, but who doesn't? In retrospect, however, there were two alarm bells. The first was the way he talked about girls, he cursed them, called them s….s, in short, he considered them as sex objects. As for Nino, he said he wasn’t very bright, but I thought it was just the behavior of an immature young man. I can't find peace, maybe I could have said or done something more. Nino was a nice person, optimistic, always with a smile on his face, someone who played down every situation: I am very sorry for him”.
Click to expand...

Interesting what this piece says about his attitude to women, when you consider that it was the girlfriend, FdD, who had been attacked more viciously and suffered facial disfigurements, according to reports of the crime scene. I wonder if NC died because he was trying to protect her. The pathology and forensic evidence may be able to shed light on what order things happened and whether injuries were defensive etc. (Acknowledging that the accused is innocent until proven otherwise, of course.)

(Thanks for tagging me btw - easy to miss updates!)
 
I wonder if the defence plea will be manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility or loss of control, the latter carrying a heavier sentence I suspect (someone correct me if I’m wrong). But if, by any chance, AC had revealed hostility towards Nino when speaking to family or friends, then it could be a different matter… Just MOO and amateur speculation of course.

IMO this case resonates with that of 21-year old Antonio De Marco two years ago. (This English article is worth a read) Student confesses to brutal murder of 'too happy' couple - English
 
AcbMurders said:
I wonder if the defence plea will be manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility or loss of control, the latter carrying a heavier sentence I suspect (someone correct me if I’m wrong). But if, by any chance, AC had revealed hostility towards Nino when speaking to family or friends, then it could be a different matter… Just MOO and amateur speculation of course.

IMO this case resonates with that of 21-year old Antonio De Marco two years ago. (This English article is worth a read) Student confesses to brutal murder of 'too happy' couple - English
Click to expand...

Woah, yes, fascinating parallels. I find myself wondering about a sexual motive in both cases, though it's pure speculation and may be well wide of the mark. But an apparent sense of being rejected or superseded at least.

JMO
 
AcbMurders said:
The alleged killer has been named by Italian MSM
www.corriere.it

Coinquilino e collega di una delle vittime: chi è il sospettato del delitto dei fidanzati in Inghilterra

I sospetti ricadono su Andrea Cardinale, 21 anni, originario di Palermo. Oltre ad essere collega di Nino Calabrò era anche coinquilino. Ancora inspiegabile il movente del duplice omicidio
www.corriere.it

His name is Andrea Cardinale and he was a work colleague of Nino Calabrò. From the tight secrecy of the English investigators, the name of the 21-year-old from Palermo has been leaked. He’s arrested on suspicion of having killed Calabrò, 26, and his girlfriend Francesca Di Dio, just 20. (…) The alleged murderer, in addition to being Calabrò's work colleague, was also his flat mate. According to the investigations he hit them with a hammer for reasons that still remain unknown.
(…)
It has emerged that the young man might have had mental problems. It was the father of the alleged killer who discovered the double crime. He too was in Great Britain: he had gone to see his son. For one day he had tried to call him and, receiving no answers, had thought of going to the house, discovering the bodies. It is not clear whether the man physically entered the house with a copy of the keys, in any case he triggered the investigation machine by alerting a policeman friend in Italy.

But why were Francesca and Nino killed? While awaiting confirmation from the investigators and the version of the alleged murderer, only hypotheses can be made. Like the one that circulates in Milazzo and Montagnareale, the towns of origin of the two victims, in the Messina area. «Francesca wanted to move to England – some acquaintances say – and maybe Nino told the roommate that he had to leave the house. This may have aroused his anger.'
Click to expand...
I can understand how someone with existing mental health issues might lose the plot in that situation. Terrible though, two lives wasted here. JMO MOO
 
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