Man held on Italian murder charge

Man held on Italian murder charge

An Italian who has lived for the past two years in Surrey has been arrested and is awaiting extradition for a murder committed nearly two decades ago.

The trail to Enrico Mariotti, 55, of Wallington, Surrey, ended when he was arrested at Gatwick airport on Christmas Eve after he dropped off his wife to catch a flight to Rome.

Sentenced to 25 years' jail in Italy in his absence, he has been remanded until 3 January for involvement in the murder of Count Massimiliano Grazioli between November 1977 and March 1978.

Mariotti allegedly befriended the 66-year-old count's son and then kidnapped the aristocrat with a local gang boss. The family paid a pounds 750,000 ransom, but the count was never seen again and Mariotti was later named as the killer and fled.