A Scots drug fiend stabbed a young mum 45 times, leaving her to die in a pile of children’s toys, a court has heard.
Michael Porchetta killed Aimee Cannon after knifing her in the stomach, chest, neck and head, and she was found to have defensive wounds on her hands.
The details emerged during an examination of facts hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh, after Porchetta was deemed unfit to stand trial. The 28-year-old also subjected her to ‘multiple clean cut wounds’ on her scalp during the attack at her home in West Calder, West Lothian.
The court heard he also left the blood-soaked 26-year-old, who worked as a beautician, lying on the floor with her head resting on her children’s toys. The Sun reports the court was shown a graphic video of Aimee’s body in the flat, which caused gasps and tears from family and friends in the public gallery.
A tattoo on her body reading ‘One life one chance’ was visible during the harrowing walk through the blood-splattered home after her death, in May 2022. Aimee was discovered by her dad Vince when he came to her home the next day and the alarm was raised. Porchetta, who lived nearby, then spent three days denying he had anything to do with the death.
But his sister, who found blood on his jeans, told him to go to the police, the court heard. Porchetta was charged with murdering mum-of-two Aimee by punching her and stabbing her “on the head and body with a knife or knives”. He is further accused of stealing Aimee’s phone, keys and underwear.
And he is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by disposing of the blade and washing her blood from his trainers. Agreed evidence between the prosecution and defence was read by advocate depute John McElroy KC. He said: “The post mortem concluded the deceased died of multiple sharp force injuries.
“She had at least 45 stab wounds and multiple clean cut wounds on her scalp and both hands.” A video taken by scenes of crime officers caused one woman to flee the public gallery while others wept. Porchetta stared at the ground and did not look at the footage. Forensic scientist Laura Wilcock told the court: “The deceased’s body was found with her head lying on children’s toys.”
The court heard Porchetta stayed with his uncle Robert Nicoll, 59, and sister Gabriella, 29, after their parents passed away. He told the court his nephew returned home at 7am on Saturday May 7. He said: “I asked him how his night was. He said ‘aye it was alright’ and he went upstairs. He changed his clothes and went out to work.”
The court heard Porchetta returned home around 5pm and ate his dinner before a female arrived and went up to his room. On Sunday afternoon, he went out to see Mr Nicoll while he was gardening. The witness said in evidence: “Michael came out to see me, he seemed upset.
“He said to me ‘the lassie’s been murdered up the street. My pals told me.’ Michael said he had been up at her house on Friday night. He always went there. He said he had been taking drugs. Then he said his pals had called him and told him Aimee had been stabbed.” Sister Garbriella, 29, a deputy charge nurse, told the court she smelled what she thought was blood on Porchetta’s jeans.
She said this happened on the Saturday when she went to get them for the wash. She said: “I asked Michael where it came from and he said he had cut his thumb after catching it on a barbed wire fence. He also said he had been to Aimee’s home on Friday night but left around midnight. He denied doing anything to Aimee.”
Gabriella added that the family were worried about his abuse of cocaine. She said: “Michael said he had to stop as it was f***ing him up in the head.” Uncle Robert Nicoll told defence KC Gary Allan: “He was always asking me for money.” Mr Allan said: “Did you learn that he was taking cocaine regularly?” The witness said: “Yes.”
The lawyer asked: “Did it become a concern in the family?” The witness replied: “Yes.” The hearing heard this week how Porchetta again told his sister that he had left Aimee ‘safe and well’. But she called the police and told him he had to speak to them. Further witnesses described to the court Porchetta ‘trying it on’ with Aimee but her rebuffing him and saying he’s ‘just my wee pal.’
Alistair Wilson, 28, said: “Aimee told me once that Michael had come on to her but she told him they were just pals.” Robert Aitken, 30, added: “Mikey tried it on with her two months before her death.” A third witness, John Honeyman said there had previously been an incident involving Aimee and Porchetta.
The 33-year-old said she had contacted him in the months before the killing to try to get Porchetta to leave her house on one particular evening. He said: “She seemed anxious, alarmed and upset. Panicking.” The hearing, before judge Lord Mulholland, continues.
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