Man who slashed horse in revenge attack fails to clear his name

A man who slashed his ex-girlfriend’s horse to the bone in a revenge attack has had an appeal against his conviction rejected.

Sebastiano Mauro, a surgical nurse, was sentenced to 5 years in prison after taking revenge on his ex-girlfriend Nathalie Kelderman by attacking her horse.

Jessie, a 10-year-old bay mare, was found bleeding heavily after being cut with a blade in July 2011.

The 45-year-old from Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, was found guilty in April 2012 of taking revenge on Miss Kelderman by attacking her horse and going to her flat equipped for burglary, intending to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Mauro launched a challenge to his conviction at the Court of Appeal in London.

During the appeal Mauro reportedly made a series of complaints about the way his trial was conducted and said that he needed an adjournment so that a potentially key witness could be found and interviewed.

But last Thursday (26 June), a panel of 3 judges ruled against his bid for an adjournment and rejected the appeal.

Judge Clement Goldstone, sitting with Lady Justice Sharp and Mr Justice Irwin, rejected the arguments and said: “This case requires finality and finality it will now get.”

He said the judges had “read and re-read a very substantial bundle of documentation”, but there was no merit in Mauro’s application.

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