Brazilian Man Jailed For London Teen Killing

A Brazilian man has been jailed for killing a British teenager, dismembering her and dumping her torso in a suitcase.

Mohamed D'Ali Carvalho dos Santos was sentenced to 21 years for murdering 17-year-old Cara Marie Burke, from Southfields, near Wimbledon, and then hiding her body in the South American country last July.

The 21-year-old admitted stabbing the teen to death, before dismembering her in Brazil following an argument about his heavy drug use.

Miss Burke's torso was found in a suitcase near the Brazilian city of Goiania. The 17-year-old had travelled to Brazil after meeting Santos in her home city.

Santos said he had been smoking crack cocaine for four days when Miss Burke threatened to tell his mother he was spending all his money on drugs unless he gave her an unspecified amount of cash.

He told the court: "I don't remember where I stabbed. I kept stabbing away, not knowing where, and when I saw what I had done, she was dead."

Santos also said he then took a bath and went to an all-night party. On his way home he stopped at a supermarket and bought a larger knife so he could cut her up.

He said he disposed of her remains near two rivers in Goiania.

During the trial the defence lawyer Carlos Trajano said a psychiatric evaluation showed his client was "not fully responsible for his acts because he was taking drugs non-stop during the three days prior to the killing".

However, prosecutor Milton Marcolino had called for the maximum 30-year sentence saying Santos "was perfectly aware of what he was doing and of the consequences of his acts, despite all the drugs he took".

The victim was identified by her family after photographs of a distinctive tattoo on her stomach were aired on a Brazilian news channel.

Santos will spend at least eight years behind bars before being eligible for part-time custody.

(JM/BMcC)