Banker 'killed PC Gordon Semple and dissolved the body in acid'

On trial: Stefano Brizzi is charged with the murder of a police officer
Facebook
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

An Italian banker strangled a Met Police officer at a sex party before dissolving his body in a bath of acid, the Old Bailey heard.

Stefano Brizzi, 50, allegedly murdered PC Gordon Semple at his Bermondsey flat after meeting through gay dating app Grindr for “extreme” sadomasochistic sex.

After strangling the 59-year-old officer, Brizzi used a saw to chop up the body, disposing of some parts in the River Thames, the court heard.

When neighbours complained of a “revolting” smell coming from the flat, police were called and caught Brizzi trying to dispose of the rest of the body.

“Inside the flat, the officers were met with a sight that must have been beyond anything for which they had been trained”, said prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC.

“In the bathroom, the bath was full of what turned out to be acid."

The body of PC Gordon Semple was found after he went missing
Metropolitan Police

Mr Aylett added that flesh was found in the bath.

He added: "On the bathroom floor were plastic buckets containing human remains.”

Quizzed about what happened, Brizzi allegedly told the officer: “I’ve tried to dissolve the body...I’ve killed a police officer.

“I killed him last week. I met him on Grindr and I killed him. Satan told me to.”

Mr Aylett warned the jury as he opened the case: “The nature of the evidence, I am afraid, is such as to call for strong stomachs as well as broad minds.”

The court heard Brizzi invited PC Semple, from Greenhithe, Dartford, to his flat on the Peabody Estate in Southwark Street on April 1, despite him being on duty.

Mr Aylett said the officer was openly gay and in a relationship, but was “sexually promiscuous” and used Grindr to meet other men.

He said: “The sexual activity that followed might be of an extreme nature: domination, bondage, and much else besides. It is also the case that drugs were often involved.”

PC Semple went to meet Brizzi on April 1, texting that he was “free now for hot dirty sleazy session”, and together they invited others to a gay sex orgy.

Mr Aylett said two men said they were interested in joining in, but one was put off by the possible use of drugs.

Mr Aylett said an associate of Brizzi told police he was a fan of hit TV show Breaking Bad.

"Stefano Brizzi had been obsessed with the American television show Breaking Bad", he told the jury.

"In the series a chemistry teacher named Walter White starts producing crystal meth.

"At first this is done to pay for medical care but he soon decades into the criminal underworld - after poisoning a rival White ends up dissolving the body in acid."

Jurors have heard Brizzi was hooked on crystal meth and had lost his job at Morgan Stanley when the drugs were affecting his lifestyle.

The other man, known in court as CD, arrived at Brizzi’s home later in the afternoon, but when he pressed the buzzer he was told: “We are having a situation here. Someone fell ill but we’re taking care of it. So our party is cancelled.”

Mr Aylett said: “CD must have arrived at the front door of the block at the very point at which Gordon Semple was meeting his death inside the defendant’s flat.”

The court heard that Brizzi later told the police: “I was right in the middle of strangling Gordon and I said to - he was right at the door - and I said to him: ‘Look, this is not the right time now, people are falling ill on drugs and it’s a mess’.

“Over the next few days, the defendant’s neighbours became increasingly conscious of a revolting smell that was coming from the defendant’s flat.”

The discovery of PC Semple’s remains was not made until April 7, a week after he had been killed, when Brizzi answered the door wearing only sunglasses and his underpants.

A missing persons search was launched for the Scottish-born officer before the eventual discovery that he was dead.

Brizzi, of the Peabody Estate, in Southwark Street, Bermondsey, has pleaded guilty to obstructing a coroner by disposing of the body, but denies murder.

The trial continues.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in