Colchester murder accused suspected wife was cheating, court told

Dr Antonella Castelvedere, an English academic at the University of Suffolk, was stabbed to death last June

A man accused of murdering his wife told another that he suspected she was cheating on him, a court has heard.

Turkish national Ertan Ersoy, 51, revealed having "difficulties with his wife" to Mahmut Bektas.

University lecturer Dr Antonella Castelvedere was found stabbed to death on the kitchen floor of the couple's home in Colchester last June.

On trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Mr Ersoy denied murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The hearing was told Mr Bektas was given Mr Ersoy's number by an agency when he moved to Essex in 2021 and did not know anyone.

Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC asked Mr Bektas if his friend had raised any suspicions about his wife.

Speaking through a Turkish interpreter, Mr Bektas told the court: "He said that he's finding it difficult and their relationship is very tense."

He said Mr Ersoy told him Dr Castelvedere was "constantly thinking about her previous relationships" and had kept old letters, which made him "cross and angry".

Dr Castelvedere was found stabbed to death on the kitchen floor of the couple's home in Colchester on 1 June 2022.

Mr Bektas said Mr Ersoy told him he "checked her emails" and "there was an individual from a previous relationship talking about he cannot forget about her".

He said the defendant told him his wife had hit him and when asked how, replied: "I think he mentioned about throwing some items at him."

The court heard how Mr Bektas met Dr Castelvedere in March 2022, when she admitted she was "not happy".

Mr Bektas said he recommended the couple attend therapy.

'Living in hell'

A message sent by Dr Castelvedere to Mr Bektas on 31 May, which was read to the court, said: "Ertan has fallen back into a dark state of mind and I fear for my safety."

In his reply, Mr Bektas said he had offered to put Mr Ersoy in touch with a psychotherapist and he "hoped this time he will start to take professional help".

Ignazia Posadinu, a senior lecturer at the University of Essex, told the court she met Dr Castelvedere when she was studying for her PhD and they became friends.

She said that in a meeting six months before her death, Dr Castelvedere "told me she had been living in hell for a year and a half".

"She said it had been a very terrible situation," Ms Posadinu added.

Dr Castelvedere was a lecturer at the University of Suffolk, teaching an MA course in English and Creative Writing, and Mr Ersoy also worked as a lecturer.

The trial continues.