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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Michael Howie

Wood Green: Man admits killing partner and her father in ‘ferocious’ north London knife attack

Fernanda Assis and Joanilson Souza De Assis

(Picture: Met Police)

A 53-year-old man has admitted killing his partner and her father in a “ferocious” knife attack.

Achilleas Costa, 53, of no fixed address, denied murder but pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Monday to the manslaughter of Fernanda Assis and Joanilson Souza De Assis in Wood Green, north London, on November 27 2021.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said that in light of psychiatric reports, the pleas were acceptable to the Crown.

Mr Justice Murray adjourned sentencing until March 31.

At an earlier hearing, the prosecution said Costa had been behaving strangely in Huntingdon on the morning of November 28.

Police were called and from remarks made at the scene by the defendant it became evident he had been involved in an incident involving serious violence.

Costa gave an address to police who attended Mayes Road and found the bodies of a 31-year-old woman and 61-year-old man.

They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Emlyn Jones had said that each of them had been stabbed repeatedly in what was “obviously a ferocious attack”.

From remarks the defendant gave in interviews the fact they died at his hands was on the face of it uncontroversial, the court had heard.

Costa, who was Ms Assis’s partner, was subsequently charged with two counts of murder.

The defendant spoke only to confirm his identity and enter his pleas during the brief hearing at the Old Bailey.

He was remanded into custody.

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