A 200 kg Italian man, convicted of killing his girlfriend by stabbing her 57 times, has been released from prison after a court ruled that the high-calorie diet served to him in the prison could kill him.
As per the New York Post, the man, identified as Dimitri Fricano (35), was convicted by a local court for killing his girlfriend Erika Preti (25) by stabbing her over 57 times after she chided him for leaving too many bread crumbs on the bed.
The incident happened in 2017, when the duo were vacationing in Sardinia, Italy.
He was nearly 118 kg when he was sentenced to 30-years imprisonment by The Turin Surveillance Court in 2019 for murder.
However, he started his jail term in April 2022 due to delays caused by Covid-19.
Over the past year, Niella’s weight ballooned to 200kg, leading the court to release him from prison on medical grounds.
In the ruling, the court said that Fricano cannot remain in prison as he is “incompatible with the prison regime” due to his weight, which makes it difficult for him to get around without a wheelchair or crutches.
Fricano, who is also a chain smoker, cannot be put in jail as the officials are unable to provide the low-calorie diet he needs to shed his weight, the court added in their verdict.
As per the court’s order, Fricano will serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest at his parents’ home near Milan, where he can get access to a low-calorie diet.
However, the victim’s family condemned the move and termed it as “shameful”.
Speaking to a local newspaper, Preti’s father, Fabrizio Preti, said,“ No one will give me back my little girl. But for us, the pain is still too strong for him to be released so soon.”
“It was like receiving a stab to the heart,” he added.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017
Fricano and Preti had been vacationing in San Teodoro on the island of Sardinia in June 2017 when they got into an argument about his sloppy eating habits.
He claimed that Preti hit him with a paperweight, prompting him to grab a knife and plunge it into her body for as many as 57 times.
Initially, he blamed his girlfriend’s killing on robbers, but eventually confessed to his crime during questioning by the police.
“She insulted me for the bread and then hit me in the head, so I killed her,” Fricano was quoted as telling the police.
As per his counsel, Fricano is suffering from several medical conditions, including anxiety-depressive bulimia syndrome, personality disorder and sleep apnea.
Doctors also opined that Fricano is at a high risk of cardiovascular disease and needs to follow a special diet that the prison in Turin cannot provide.
Following the doctor’s opinion, the Turin Surveillance Court judges agreed and passed a order saying that Fricano “needs assistance that cannot be provided in the institution.”
