Man who stabbed woman 45 times may never be freed

A man who murdered a young mother by stabbing her 45 times may never be freed after being ordered to be kept in hospital indefinitely.

Michael Porchetta, 28, killed Aimee Cannon, 26, at her home in West Calder in West Lothian on 7 May 2022.

Ms Cannon's father found her body when he visited the following day.

Speaking outside the court, her mother Wendy said she still struggled to cope with seeing the images of her "beautiful daughter lying amongst her children's toys with catastrophic injuries".

She said: "To lose your only child in any circumstances is unbelievably painful and, at times, unbearable," adding that her daughter had been killed in a "brutal and sustained attack".

She spoke of having to see the horror of Ms Cannon's extensive injuries in video evidence and could not comprehend "the pain and anguish my husband faced finding our wee girl dead".

She added: "As we try to survive a new life, sadly without Aimee, we will all continue to care as a loving and extended family for the grandchildren.

"We never got a chance to hold our daughter one last time, to tell her how much we loved her and that we will always help to try and keep her children safe."

Porchetta had been due to stand trial for murder, but was deemed unfit as a result of a learning disability.

Instead, an examination of facts hearing previously took place to look at the circumstances of the incident and Porchetta's mental state at the time.

This kind of hearing allows the Crown and the defence the opportunity to present evidence to a court without a jury.

Lord Mulholland concluded "beyond reasonable doubt" in November of last year that Porchetta carried out the attack.

After hearing evidence from two psychiatrists who had compiled reports on Porchetta, Lord Mulholland imposed an indefinite compulsion order for him to remain at the State Hospital in Carstairs.

At the High Court in Glasgow, the judge told him: "I found that you murdered Aimee Cannon - for whatever reason, only you will know.

"You subjected her to a cowardly, vicious and frenzied attack.

"She was defenceless as you were armed with a knife or knives. It is clear from some of her defensive injuries and her broken nails, she fought for her life."

He added that Porchetta had "deviously tried to cover his tracks" including getting rid of Ms Cannon's mobile phone and trying to clean blood from his trainers.

Lord Mulholland said he had read emotional impact statements written by family members which he described as "heart-wrenching".

He told Porchetta: "You clearly are a danger to the public."

The earlier examination of facts in Edinburgh had heard agreed evidence on Ms Cannon's injuries.

Prosecutor John McElroy KC said: "The post mortem concluded that she died of multiple sharp force injuries.

"She had at least 45 stab wounds and multiple clean cut wounds on her scalp as well as both hands."

Porchetta, who used cocaine, lived with his uncle Robert Nicoll, 59, and sister Gabriella, 29, after their parents died.

Mr Nicoll told the court his nephew had returned home at 07:00 on 7 May.

He recalled: "I asked him how his night was. He said: 'Aye, it was alright'. He went upstairs.

"He changed his clothes and went out to work."

The next afternoon an "upset" Porchetta went outside to speak to his uncle while he was gardening.

Mr Nicoll said: "He said to me: 'The lassie has been murdered up the street. My pals told me'.

"Michael said he had been up at her house on the Friday night.

"He always went there. He said he had been taking drugs. He then said his pals had called and told him Aimee had been stabbed."

Porchetta's sister Gabriella also gave evidence and said she smelled what she thought was blood on his jeans when she went to get them for the wash.

The deputy charge nurse said: "I asked him where it had come from. He said he had cut his thumb after catching it on a barbed wire fence.

"He also said he had been to Aimee's on Friday night, but left around midnight.

"He denied doing anything to Aimee."

Porchetta claimed he had left Ms Cannon, who was a beautician, "safe and well".

But his sister called police and told her brother he had to speak to them.

She also said the family had been concerned about his cocaine abuse.

Porchetta was said to have regularly asked his uncle for cash while taking cocaine.

Witnesses spoke of Porchetta "trying it on" with Ms Cannon - but she rebuffed him insisting he was "just my wee pal".

One friend said Ms Cannon had contacted him months before the killing to get Porchetta to leave her house.

She was described as "anxious, alarmed and upset".

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Stuart Doig was one of the two medical professionals who gave evidence.

He said Porchetta needed "concerted long term risk management" measures while at the state hospital.

At one stage, Lord Mulholland asked him: "It is possible that he is never released?"

Dr Doig replied: "That is correct."

The psychiatrist also agreed during his evidence that there appeared to be "no clear motive" for the killing.

After the hearing, Wendy Cannon also spoke out about knife crime.

"We are not the only parents who have lost their child to knife crime in the years since we lost Aimee," she said.

"I am horrified by what feels like such an exponential increase in such crime. It seems to become normalised in our society that it is ok to carry and use such weapons

"Life is not a video game.

"In the future, like many other bereaved parents before me, in the same circumstances, I would like to work towards getting the message out in the community somehow, especially to young people, that taking a life has overwhelming consequences for victims' families and friends."