Who was Stefano Brizzi? Breaking Bad fanatic who murdered PC Gordon Semple he met on Grindr – all you need to know
STEFANO Brizzi was found guilty of strangling and dismembering a policeman he met on gay dating app Grindr.
The Italian national, 50, denied murder and claimed the death was an accident during a bondage sex game gone wrong.
On February 6 2017, Brizzi was found dead in Belmarsh prison where he was serving a life sentence.
But just what do we know about Brizzi and what exactly was he guilty of?
Who was Stefano Brizzi?
The 50-year-old Italian national was a former £70,000-a-year web developer for financial giant Morgan Stanley.
He said he had to quit his job in February 2015 because of his crystal meth use - but believed he could kick the habit and return to the job market.
During his trial, the court heard the Italian said he had visited a psychiatrist and a psychologist in 2015 after leaving his job.
He told police: "I lost my job, cos' I had a job but I wasn't able to keep the job because I was constantly high on drugs. I had a job but I lost that job."
The former web developer said he tried to visit a psychologist and a crystal meth support group but claimed: "The problem with that is the psychologist says crystal meth caused psychosis, I was raised Catholic, being gay was evil. And the devil... so I've been into Satan."
Brizzi – who lived in South London – had been trying to persuade other gay men in the area to join them for a 'Chemsex' party, jurors heard.
He was believed to have been living a "nocturnal" lifestyle after quitting his job in the months before the alleged murder.
The drug addict also had a copy of the Satanic bible downloaded onto his computer as well as a notebook with handwritten notes to the devil, jurors heard.
But Brizzi claimed in court that he had an intellectual interest in Satanism, but denied being a follower of the religion.
But he described himself as 'hostile to Christianity' saying: 'I hope I have the right to have my views'.
What exactly was he guilty of?
Stefano Brizzi was found guilty of murdering PC Semple, originally from Inverness in Scotland, by strangling him to death.
The 50-year-old drug user claimed Met police officer Semple, 59, died when a drug-fuelled sex game went wrong at his flat on April 1.
Brizzi claimed the death was an accident and denied murder but admitted obstructing a coroner.
The trial heard that Brizzi “grated his victim’s flesh from his bones before eating some with chopsticks”.
PC Semple’s DNA was found inside the oven, on chopsticks, on a chopping board and inside a cooking pot at Brizzi’s home, the court heard.
Jurors heard two black bin liners were found to contain mounds of flesh, a human pelvis, a hand and part of a spine.
There was also evidence of a bite mark on one of the 59-year-old’s ribs, jurors were told.
One of PC Semple’s severed feet was found by a member of the public on the south side of the River Thames, the court was told.
Jurors heard how after a few days his neighbours started to complain of the overwhelming stench coming from the flat.
Brizzi was found guilty of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison.
What do we know about PC Gordon Semple?
The gay officer, who lived in Dartford, Kent and was originally from Inverness, had worked in banking before joining the Metropolitan Police.
He had served with the Met for 30 years and was in a relationship but regularly met strangers for sex.
The jury heard explicit details of extreme sexual practices favoured by Semple, 59, and the defendant.
This included domination and bondage which was revealed by their profiles and messages they sent to various men on Grindr.
Both men also used illegal drugs, the court heard.
Jurors heard how he organised a meeting with Brizzi on gay dating app Grindr.
The prosecutor said that Semple made contact with Brizzi when he was supposed to be on duty.
Brizzi’s Grindr profile was Dom SE1 – indicating a liking for dominant activity and his postcode – and said he was “free now for (a) hot dirty sleazy session”, the court was told.
CCTV footage showed PC Gordon Semple at Blackfriars Station on the day he went to Brizzi’s flat in Southwark.
The court heard how Semple arrived at the defendant’s flat and over the next few hours they used Grindr to invite other men to join them for a sex party where drugs would be available.
The court heard only one man agreed to join them, but was sent away by Brizzi via intercom who told him: “We're having a situation here. Someone fell ill but we're taking care of it. So our party is cancelled.”
He's believed to have arrived at the very moment Brizzi was strangling PC Semple.
Semple last used Grindr shortly after 7pm, jurors were told.
They heard how 20 minutes later there was no answer when his partner tried to call him on his mobile.
The partner reported him missing the next morning after he failed to return home and or answer more than 20 phone calls.
What’s the link to Breaking Bad?
The court heard how Brizzi was captured on CCTV in a nearby shop buying a haul of equipment including saws, metal sheeting and plastic buckets as well as bottles of acid and cleaning products.
Brizzi admitted in court being inspired by cult TV show Breaking Bad to try and dissolve Semple’s body in acid.
He said he panicked and decided to chop up PC Semple's body, dissolve it in a bathtub full of acid and throw some parts in the River Thames.
Brizzi was obsessed with Breaking Bad and wore the show's t-shirt to meetings of crystal meth addicts, jurors heard.
The TV show features one episode, called 'Cat's in the bag', in which the main character, Walter White, dissolves a rival in acid and Brizzi was asked about the show in court.
Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting at the Old Bailey, said: "I do want to ask you about Breaking Bad. You were rather a fan, weren't you?"
Brizzi admitted he had seen the series two or three times, but said he was a fan of many TV series, which he watched while trying to wean himself off crystal meth.
Mr Aylett said: "Breaking Bad seems to rather glorify crystal meth, because the down-at-heel chemistry teacher, who works in a car wash, ends up as a drug baron, doesn't he.
"He ends up producing vast quantities of very high-calibre crystal meth."
Brizzi "talked about it a lot" and glorified it at the Crystal Meth Anonymous group he went to, the prosecutor said.
In the episode, Walter White's sidekick Jesse tried to dissolve the body in a bath but the hydroflouric acid burns through it and it crashes to the floor.
Brizzi initially told PC Edwards, who was called to his flat, that he had used the same type of acid, jurors were told.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Brizzi in a Leyland DIY store, buying equipment to dissolve of the body, in which he inspects a plastic bucket, and apparently put his head into.
Mr Aylett asked Brizzi he was so interested in the plastic bucket.
Mr Aylett asked: "Do you accept that you were living out an episode of Breaking Bad?"
Brizzi replied: "I accept I considered without any rationality at all.
"If I had thought about it, if I was some kind of criminal mind, I would have done things in a much more organised way.
"I think I was inspired by the idea. I took whatever was there, thinking maybe I can dissolve him.”
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