Man stabbed young mum 45 times in ‘vicious and frenzied’ attack at her own home in West Calder

A man killed a young mother after stabbing her at least 45 times in a “vicious and frenzied attack” in her own home.

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

The 28-year-old man had been charged with murder but was said to suffer from cognitive impairment, leading to him being deemed unfit to stand trial.

A fact finding hearing was held instead, examining the circumstances of the incident and Porchetta’s mental state at the time.

Lord Mulholland concluded at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday that Porchetta carried out the attack “beyond reasonable doubt”.

He was also accused of stealing Aimee’s phone, keys and underwear, as well as throwing the blade and washing the blood off her sneakers.

Porchetta’s uncle, Robert Nicoll, told the court his nephew returned home around 7 a.m. on May 7 before changing his clothes and going to work.

He returned around 5 p.m. and had dinner before a woman also arrived and they went to his room.

The next afternoon, a “distraught” Porchetta went out to talk to his uncle while he was gardening.

Mr Nicoll said: “He said to me: ‘The girl was murdered in the street. My friends told me.

“Michael said he went to her house Friday night.

“He always went there. He said he was taking drugs. He then said his friends called him and told him Aimee had been stabbed.

Porchetta’s sister, Gabriella, also testified and she recalled smelling what she thought was blood on her jeans when she went to get them to wash them.

The assistant charge nurse said: “I asked him where it came from. He said he cut his thumb after catching it on a barbed wire fence.

“He also said he went to Aimée’s house Friday night, but left around midnight.

“He denied doing anything to Aimée.”

Porchetta claimed he left her “unharmed.”

But his sister called the police and told her brother he needed to talk to them.

She also talked about how her family was concerned about her cocaine abuse.

The witness said: “Michael said he had to stop it because it was “fucking with his head”. »

Porchetta allegedly regularly asked her uncle for money while doing cocaine.

Witnesses spoke of Porchetta “trying” with Aimee – but she pushed him away, insisting he was “just my boyfriend”.

A friend said Aimee contacted him months before the murder to convince Porchetta to leave her house.

She was described as “anxious, alarmed and upset”.

Lord Mulholland said: “This was a brutal and frenzied attack on a defenseless woman in her own home.

“This was done by someone considered a friend.”

Porchetta is currently detained at Carstairs Public Hospital under an interim restraint order.

He will remain there while Lord Mulholland adjourned the case until the New Year for further psychiatric reports to be completed.

An autopsy concluded that beautician Aimee died from multiple injuries caused by sharp objects. She had “at least” 45 stab wounds and multiple clear wounds to her scalp and both hands.

In his judgment, Lord Mulholland said Porchetta had “attempted to cover his tracks” after the murder, but the evidence – including DNA – had “told its own story”.