Husband's horrifying death as wife 'sliced off flesh and fed it to family dog'

Daily Record

3 hours ago

Svetlana Batukova was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of killing her husband Horst Hans Henkels whose corpse was partially eaten by the family dog
A woman in Majorca has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of the gruesome murder of her husband, a crime that sent shockwaves across the nation.
The body of Horst Hans Henkels was discovered in the home he shared with his wife Svetlana Batukova, with parts of his remains having been consumed by the family dog.
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Batukova, who hails from Russia, was 46 at the time of the horrific incident. She later appealed her initial sentence, arguing that there was insufficient evidence for her conviction.
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However, local media reported Batukova attempted to pin the blame on the dog for Henkels' death, a claim that was debunked during the post-mortem examination which revealed that he had bled out after sustaining multiple stab wounds.
The Spanish court upheld the original sentence, siding with the forensic evidence and dismissing her allegations. She is currently serving her sentence, reports the Mirror US.
The grisly murder occurred in the couple's home in Sant Llorenç in 2016, where German national Horst Hans Henkels, aged 66, was repeatedly stabbed and parts of his arms were allegedly stripped down to the bone.
According to The Majorca Daily Bulletin, the flesh removed from Henkels' arms was then eaten by the family's pet, an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The prolonged assault took place in the couple's flat, where it is alleged that Henkels was first drugged before eventually succumbing to blood loss on the floor.
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Henkels, who had recently undergone surgery on his trachea, was barely able to speak at the time of the attack. He met his tragic end at the hands of his wife, who used a kitchen knife in the horrific incident.
Police confirmed they had visited the couple's home several times in the months leading up to Henkels' death due to reports of domestic abuse.
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The pair were thought to have been together for two years before tying the knot, just months before Henkels was killed. Batukova was reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she was arrested.
Court evidence during Batukova's 2020 appeal revealed that she continued to cut her husband's body until he died. She claimed their dogs were responsible for Henkels' death, but this was dismissed by forensic experts who were certain a knife was used in the killing.
Batukova's defence team alleged irregularities in their client's original trial and argued there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove she had murdered her husband. These arguments were dismissed by the court, which upheld Batukova's original 14-year sentence.
During the initial investigation into Henkels' murder, it emerged that his wife had allegedly offered money to a third party to kill her husband but ultimately took matters into her own hands.