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Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'My friend was killed on school run by vile ex - she made a chilling prediction'
A new series of Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan delves into the shocking stabbing of a young mother on the school run and reveals heartbreaking details about her final moments It was a crime that shocked Britain - the violent murder of a mum while on the school run by her estranged partner, and in front of their three-year-old daughter. Ricardo Godinho repeatedly stabbed ex-wife Aliny Godinho in broad daylight, and in front of other terrified mothers, as she walked with her little girl to collect her two sons from school in Epsom, Surrey. A court later heard how the distraught girl told a witness immediately after seeing her father kill her mother in 2019: "Mummy's not coming back". Now, in a new episode of Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan, which has uncovered new details of the case, a friend reveals new information about the days and hours before the mum-of-three's harrowing death. And she reveals how a shocked bystander who witnessed the murder made the extraordinary gesture of letting the dying mother know that her daughter had not been hurt as she took her last breaths. Aliny, 39, had just stepped off the bus with her daughter when Godinho, 41, launched the terrifying attack with a kitchen knife on February 8, 2019. The couple, who had moved together from Brazil to live in the UK, had separated in December 2018. Godinho, who had followed them in his car, was later arrested and confessed to the crime, but he would only admit to manslaughter during his trial. During the inquest, Surrey Coroner's Court heard the attack happened in just 17 seconds as Mrs Godinho held their young daughter's hand. Prosecutors said the crime was premeditated and motivated by 'his anger and resentment that his wife was seeking a new life for her and her children." He was found guilty of murder and possessing an offensive weapon by Guildford Crown Court and sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years in July 2019. However, when he was transferred to a prison in Brazil in 2022, it meant his sentence was changed to 30 years in jail. Lucienne Monteiro, a Brazilian friend of Aliny in the UK, told the programme that the mother knew that her ex-husband wanted to kill her, but believed he would never harm her if she was with their daughter, who was Godinho's 'favourite' child. She remembers: 'I asked her, 'Aliny, do you think Ricardo will do anything bad to you?' And then she said to me, 'I think if you get to him in a bad moment and I am alone without the children he would do it. But if I am with one of the children, he wouldn't do it. So, she believed that she was safe because of the children. 'So, from that week, she took her little child, the girl with her to school every day, because she felt protected. The little one was his favourite one. So, she thought like he won't hurt her.' She remembers finding out her worst fears had come true: 'We were watching TV or something when my phone rang. And then when I picked up the phone, a friend of ours, he said, Aliny has just being killed, stabbed by Ricardo. I threw my telephone away and I started screaming I never felt so bad in my life like that day. 'She didn't have the time to defend herself. She didn't have any marks on the arm or anything, it was really fast. They said that he stabbed her and then as she was falling down he kept stabbing her, without saying anything. And then when he'd done that, he just look at his little one and then he walk away.' But she reveals one moment that has given her comfort. "As a mother, I guess you can imagine in your mind, to be going that way and scared that something was happening with her little one,' she says. "So this lady came and said to her, 'your baby's OK'. So I hope she went in peace." The Crime+Investigation series episode, which airs tonight, also revealed that Godinho had been following Aliny's movements without her knowing, by using the Find My iPhone to track where she was - despite being told by police not to make contact with Aliny or their children following accusations of abusive behaviour and coercive control. He had also found a way to read her messages and emails, and was a member of a WhatsApp group that Aliny's friends used to support her without them knowing. Portuguese journalist Duarte Mendonça explained: "He had access to an old SIM card that used to belong to Aliny and no one in that group ever noticed it. So, for the longest time, Ricardo was able to keep track of every single conversation of every single move, and it was only up until the day that Ricardo decided to leave the group. 'And they saw the stamp mark saying, 'Aliny has left the group' the group realised that he was there the whole time.' But despite breaking his bail conditions many times, no further action was taken by police. It was later found that Godinho had been using Google to search for how a Brazilian man had murdered his wife. Friend Luciene also remembered how Aliny was reluctant to go to the police about the danger she felt she was in. 'She says: 'Somebody from his family sent her a message saying that Ricardo said that he was going to kill her. So, I told her, to go to the police and showed this message from this person. And then she said to me that she didn't want to cause any problems between him and this person of his family. She was really worried about the relationship between those people.' It was on the day of her death when Aliny realised Godinho had access to her emails, WhatsApp messages and location, and reported it to the police at 11.30am - but continued on her daily routine, picking up her children from school. In the afternoon she started the school run at 2:38 p.m. CCTV captured Aliny catching the bus from where she was staying in Streatham to Epsom, along with her daughter, getting off the bus at 2:55 pm. Godinho, who had tracked her using Find My iPhone, was waiting for them in his pick-up truck when they got off. He mounted the grass verge alongside where they were walking, jumped out the vehicle and started stabbing her repeatedly, before dropping the murder weapon and driving off. He began to drive to a police station to surrender, but his vehicle was stopped, and he was arrested around an hour and a half after the attack. Psychologist Emma Kenny told the programme: "When you think about how Godinho attacks Aliny, it's on the school run. It's in front of other parents, it's in front of his three-year-old daughter, that is so symbolic of how fixated he was on ending her life. He doesn't care about witnesses. He doesn't care about the future.' It showed the murder was premeditated. 'He said, 'It wasn't my fault. It was a heat of the moment thing. It was manslaughter. I was driven to it essentially'. But the problem with that is that manslaughter would show that there was no premeditation, the level of premeditation and the execution of the actual crime shows a huge amount of planning behind it.' Friend Luciene says she will never forget her. She says: 'She was like my little sister, but he was my friend. I never thought like he would do something this to her because Aliny, she was like, I think she was not from this planet. She was so kind, so calm. So nice, full of grace, harmless. She was like this. She was so sweet.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Paedophile, 41, is snagged eight years after crimes against young girls... after applying for police force
A paedophile was caught nearly eight years after he sexually assaulted two young girls when he brazenly applied to become a PCSO. Reinaldo Goncalo Bertoni Filho, 41, was snared when DNA he provided as part of the vetting process to join the British Transport Police linked him to attacks in two nature reserves in Surrey. Detectives had been hunting for the child sex attacker since 2017 after two girls, aged 15 and 10, were sexually assaulted. Filho, of Askew Road, in London, appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday where he admitted to one count of sexual assault by penetration. He was arrested in September 2024 and had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the sexual assault of a child under 13 years. Today, Surrey Police Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson said Filho's 'audacity at applying to join the British Transport Police as a PCSO defies belief'. The dangerous sexual predator carried out his first attack on July 10, 2017, when he targeted a 15-year-old girl as she cycled on a footpath in the Hogsmill nature reserve in Epsom. During the terrifying attack, he cornered her before pushing her to ground where he sexually assaulted her. She bravely fought back and bit him on the elbow and scratched his face which caused him to run away. Police were able to obtain DNA from her clothing which was then uploaded onto the National DNA Database. Then, just over a month later, on August 17, Filho struck again when he attacked a 10-year-old who was walking alone in the 14.1 hectare Claygate Common beauty spot. Filho was out jogging when he ran past her before he turned around and grabbed the schoolgirl and then pinning her up against a tree where he sexually assaulted her. She managed to kick him in the stomach and escape, and told a family friend what had happened. They later tracked him down and confronted the paedophile before chasing him as he sprinted away. The family friend then punched him, which caused a single headphone to be dislodged from his ear. It was DNA from this earbud and the clothing that would later match Filho's when he applied to BTP. DS Robertson, from the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: 'Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to both victims, who were children at the time these heinous offences took place, for their bravery and coming forward and reporting what they had been subjected to. 'Goncalo Bertoni Filho was a dangerous sexual predator who targeted young girls on their own in isolated areas with the sole purpose of committing a sexual offence against them. 'The fact that he has finally been dealt with through the courts after eight years shows how determined we are in our relentless pursuit for justice. 'His audacity at applying to join the British Transport Police as a PCSO defies belief, but it was this which ultimately led to being identified. 'The team put in a huge amount of work into investigating these attacks at the time and this case illustrates our commitment to continuing to investigate even after several years. 'We would urge others who have been victims of similar offences to come forward and report these – you will be listened to, and you will be supported.' BTP Chief Inspector Tracy Goddard-King said: 'It was the mandatory biometric testing in our vetting procedures that ensured Filho was linked to these horrific sexual assaults, and once that connection was made we acted swiftly to ensure all the necessary information was passed on to Surrey Police to allow for immediate action to be taken against him. 'Thorough vetting processes like this are absolutely vital in policing – and in this case they ensured a dangerous offender was removed from the streets, brought before the courts to face justice, and crucially - prevented from ever joining the police.' Filho will be sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on July 25.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- BBC News
Metropolitan Police officer not guilty of sexual offences
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been cleared of a number of sexual offences, according to Howlett, 34, formerly of Horley, Surrey, had been charged with five counts of rape, one charge of controlling and coercive behaviour, one charge of sexual assault by touching, one charge of sexual assault by penetration and one charge of assault causing actual bodily Friday a jury at Guildford Crown Court returned a verdict of not guilty on all the charges after a five day trial, Surrey Police had earlier pleaded not guilty to all nine charges. "Our investigation began back in May 2021 and was led by our Sexual Offences Investigation Team," the force reporting by PA Media.
The Independent
25-02-2025
- The Independent
Pride group founder says messages about children were ‘fantasy'
The founder of an LGBTQ+ group who gave talks in schools said his alleged conversations about kidnapping and sexually assaulting children were 'fantasy' and 'taboo' and that he was 'smoking too much'. Stephen Ireland, 40, who co-founded Pride in Surrey in 2018, and David Sutton, 27, a volunteer with the organisation, are accused of 'targeting children for their sexual proclivities' between 2022 and 2024, prosecutors say. They are charged with a total of 38 offences between them, including conspiring to sexually assault children, arranging the commission of child sex offences and kidnap. However, Ireland told Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday that there were 'no actual plans to do anything'. The defendant said: 'Me and (Sutton) were smoking too much and your thoughts run away with a fantasy taboo chat.' Alex Krikler, defending Ireland, asked about WhatsApp messages from 2022, during which the pair allegedly spoke of 'snatching' or 'kidnapping' a schoolchild. Prosecutor Isabel Delamere previously said the conversations were beyond fantasy and jurors were told that the pair discussed targeting children outside school gates while pretending to be a talent coach or music manager and how to avoid CCTV. Ireland said: 'It's a fake taboo chat between David and I.' He told jurors that he visited schools to give talks about the LGBTQ+ community, but that was in a 'professional' capacity with staff present and that he had no intention of doing anything unlawful. Ireland also spoke of his 'regret' over messaging about sexually abusing two children, including a girl aged six, saying they were 'stupid conversations' and that nothing happened. He said there was no intention to visit a swimming pool to 'perve', as prosecutors allege, saying that he would not go there because he is 'body conscious' and that the conversation was merely 'role-play'. Ireland also said that a 17-year-old boy who he is alleged to have secretly watched having sex with Sutton at their flat in Addlestone in March 2024 was aware that he was being filmed. The defendant allegedly sent Sutton messages such as 'he doesn't know I'm here', while telling him what to do, the court previously heard. Some discussions between the two defendants were about 'daddy-play' with someone else being submissive and role-playing as a younger person, jurors heard. Ireland is solely charged with 21 of the 38 offences, including one count of raping a child, three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault on a child. The defendants are jointly charged with 13 offences, including six counts of conspiracy to sexually assault a child, three counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence and one count of conspiracy to kidnap a child. Sutton is also charged with another four offences, including three counts of making indecent photographs of children. The trial continues.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Messages about children a 'fantasy', jury told
The founder of an LGBTQ+ group said his alleged conversations about kidnapping and sexually assaulting children were "fantasy" and "taboo", a trial has heard. Stephen Ireland, 40, who co-founded Pride in Surrey in 2018, and David Sutton, 27, a volunteer with the organisation, are accused of "targeting children for their sexual proclivities" between 2022 and 2024, prosecutors say. They are charged with a total of 38 offences between them, including conspiring to sexually assault children, arranging the commission of child sex offences and kidnap - all of which they have denied. Mr Ireland, who gave talks in schools, told Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday that there were "no actual plans to do anything". The defendant said: "Me and [Mr Sutton] were smoking too much and your thoughts run away with a fantasy taboo chat." Alex Krikler, defending Mr Ireland, asked about WhatsApp messages from 2022, during which the pair allegedly spoke of "snatching" or "kidnapping" a child. Prosecutor Isabel Delamere previously said the conversations were beyond fantasy and jurors were told that the pair discussed targeting children outside school gates while pretending to be a talent coach or music manager and how to avoid CCTV. Mr Ireland said: "It's a fake taboo chat between David and I." He told jurors that he visited schools to give talks about the LGBTQ+ community in a "professional" capacity with staff present and that he had no intention of doing anything unlawful. Mr Ireland also spoke of his "regret" over messaging about sexually abusing two children, including a girl aged six, saying they were "stupid conversations" and that nothing happened. He is solely charged with 21 of the 38 offences, including one count of raping a child, three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of sexual assault on a child. The defendants are jointly charged with 13 offences, including six counts of conspiracy to sexually assault a child, three counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence and one count of conspiracy to kidnap a child. Mr Sutton is also charged with another four offences, including three counts of making indecent photographs of children. The trial continues. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Pride group founder spoke about abuse, jury told Pride group founder raped boy, 12, jury told HM Courts & Tribunals Service
