A man who claimed to be defending the mother of his child has been convicted of a fatal stabbing that left the victim with a 20cm knife wound that passed all the way through his body.
Federico Saurini, 51, was found guilty of murder following the death of 26-year-old Kameron Campbell, who collapsed in the street after being stabbed at an address in Palgrave Road, Bedford last year.
Despite emergency services arriving at the scene and transporting Mr Campbell to hospital within minutes, he was pronounced dead shortly after.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Campbell had suffered a fatal stab wound to the left side of his chest.
The court heard that during the evening of 20 August, Mr Campbell was involved in a verbal altercation with a woman at the property whilst Saurini watched television in another room.
After a short while the altercation was said to have escalated and moved to the rear garden of the same address.
Saurini then armed himself with a 21 cm hunting knife before lunging at Mr Campbell with such force that the blade penetrated Mr Campbell’s chest and emerged from his back.
Captured on CCTV, Mr Campbell was able to flee the property while pushing his bike, but made it only around the corner to the rear fence of the same address before collapsing in the street.
He was found by a member of the public who called 999.
Saurini, of Palgrave Road, was arrested on suspicion of murder alongside a woman in her 40s who was later released with no further action.
Pleading not guilty, Saurini was supported by an Italian translator throughout the four week trial before being convicted of murder on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Luton Crown Court.
He is due to be sentenced on April 14, at the Old Bailey.
Detective Inspector Richard Stott from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: “This was a truly tragic incident in which a young man senselessly lost his life.
“Whilst Saurini remained in another room watching television, there was ample time for him to do the right thing and call the police, allowing them to defuse the situation and ensure the safety of all those in the property.
“Instead, he passively waited, the situation escalated, and in that space of time he made the conscious decision to arm himself with a lethal weapon and use it with such force that Mr Campbell was left with a fatal injury.
“I welcome today’s conviction as a level of closure for Mr Campbell’s loved ones.
“Choosing to carry and use knives can have extreme and devastating consequences. Police will always look to take action against those who illegally carry and use knives to prevent further tragedies like this from happening.”
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