EXCLUSIVE: British woman stabbed to death in her Italian dream home suspected her 74-year-old partner of having an affair and was ‘brutally beaten by him’ weeks before her death

A British woman murdered in her Italian dream home was staying with a friend after suspecting her partner of having an affair.

Documents from prosecutors in Italy describe how tragically Michele Faiers (66) was also allegedly attacked by her partner Michael Whitbread (74) after a heated argument between the couple just weeks before her death.

After the attack, she was “covered in bruises” and “feared for her life”, according to her good friend Petrina Keay, who later found her lifeless body in her home in Italy.

Mum-of-three Michele was discovered on the floor of the home she shared with retired IT consultant Whitbread last month after suffering seven stab wounds to the back, wearing only her underwear.

Her body was lying in the first-floor bedroom, covered by a sheet with only her feet sticking out from underneath, police sources told MailOnline.

According to the files, a gentleman’s boxer was also found covered in blood at the crime scene in the picturesque town of Verratti near Chieti on Italy’s Adriatic coast, where the couple lived.

The home of Michelle Faiers and Michael Whitbread in Verratti, Italy, where Michele was found dead

Police were told that Michele had “doubts about her partner’s fidelity” and that she was “considering leaving him and returning to England”.

Police were told that Michele had “doubts about her partner’s fidelity” and that she was “considering leaving him and returning to England”.

She reportedly became “angry and suspicious” of him after seeing him slap a friend on the bottom at a New Year’s Eve party.

According to police files, the woman is a retired British woman in her 60s who moved to Italy several years ago to start a new life with her British partner.

MailOnline is not naming the woman or her partner.

The prosecutor’s file shows Michele Petrina confided her doubts about Whitbread and was forced to sleep at her home for a week after a heated argument in early October.

Petrina told investigators the “insane fight” between Michele and Whitbread left her friend “fearing for her life” and that she told her about the bitter relationship in the days before her death.

Michele was found dead on November 1 when Petrina called after becoming concerned when she did not respond to messages and found her lifeless in the bedroom.

Police discovered she had been killed four days earlier and Whitbread was detained by British police in Shepshed, near Loughborough, Leicestershire, after driving through Italy, Switzerland and France.

He was arrested at his daughter’s home – just hours after Michele was found – and she is said to have alerted police that he was at her home after reading reports of the death on MailOnline.

Whitbread was described by police neighbors as “always a bit fat”, while Michele was described as “calm and composed.”

The day before Michele’s murder, Whitbread sent a message to the partner of the woman whose bottom he spanked, admitting that they had “had sex together.”

But he questioned the truth and responded by asking to meet Whitbread to clear the air, but replied that there was “no point because there was nothing to clear up and it happened”.

The next day – after Michelle was stabbed – Whitbread strangely sent another message to retract his statement, and a day later he sent a similar text message.

By now, however, police had established through CCTV at the couple’s home that Whitbread had left his Jeep Compass behind in the early hours of October 29 and made the 1,000-mile drive to the UK.

Traffic cameras spotted him near Lake Maggiore at 4pm that afternoon on his way from Italy to Switzerland, while his last mobile phone rang from nearby Como earlier that afternoon.

The incident completely shocked the 100 expats living in the area and while Whitbread’s alleged affair is public knowledge, it will come as no surprise that no one will say anything.

Petrina declined to comment on the report and posted a do not disturb sign on her gate in English and Italian.

Faiers and Whitbread’s Italian home is cordoned off by the police

General view of Michelle Faiers and Michael Whitbread’s home in Verratti, Italy

CCTV footage seized from the home shows Michele returning there on October 28 after meeting Petrina. After that, Whitbread was the only person seen leaving or entering.

After he left on October 29, Petrina was the next person to arrive in the early morning of November 1 and made the gruesome discovery.

A local resident told MailOnline: “The tension between Michael and Michele was apparently well known to the other Brits living here.”

“Michele told a few people and after a bad attack she stayed with one of her friends for a week because she felt so bad.

“He may have seemed mild-mannered and gentle, but after a drink he had a nasty temper.”

“It all started at a New Year’s Eve party where Michael hit on another British woman and Michele was not very happy.” She got jealous and approached him.

“This created tension between this couple and them, which led to them not seeing each other anymore and avoiding each other on shared occasions.”

“The fact that he was allegedly having an affair with this woman was public knowledge and it got to the point where Michele simply didn’t want it anymore and wanted to return to England to be with her family.”

“She was there for a wedding in September and came back to say what a lovely time she had and how determined she was to go back, but unfortunately it wasn’t going to happen.”

Whitbread is currently in custody at Wandsworth Prison and faces extradition proceedings to Italy. At his first appearance he refused to agree to return.

Italian police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with Michele’s death and a full extradition hearing is expected to take place in February.