Killer brutally stabs his wife 59 times after she 'bites his finger during sex'

Marcos Vinicius Paulino, 28, knifed his wife Tatiele de Cassia dos Reis Goncalves nearly 60 times in the chest and neck. He has been jailed for 20 years following her murder

A furious husband who murdered his wife after she bit his finger during sex has been put behind bars for 20 years.

Marcos Vinicius Paulino, 28, from Brazil, stabbed his partner Tatiele de Cassia dos Reis Goncalves, 38, to death after making love on April 14. He handed himself in the following day and confessed to murder. Police discovered her lifeless body inside the family apartment in Caconde, in the state of São Paulo.

Paulino ruthlessly stabbed her 59 times, according to local media. "When they [police] arrived at the scene, they found the victim's body with stab wounds to the chest and neck, caused by a knife," the Public Security Department reported. Paulino told investigators that he pounced on Tatiele once she had changed her clothes and went to sleep.

The 28-year-old fled the bloodied scene but walked into the police station the next morning. Following a hearing on Wednesday, he was jailed for 20 years. The killer was given the maximum penalty possible for the crime of triple-qualified femicide (motivated by trivial reasons, committed in a cruel manner, and with means that hindered the victim’s defence), with the mitigating factors of being a first-time offender.

Chief Prosecutor of Caconde Alfredo Eduardo Ferreira Rossatti said: "The maximum that justice could do has been done." During the trial, the defence lawyer argued that he acted under strong emotion and that he was abused by the victim. According to attorney Allison Santos, Paulino was taking psychiatric medications and used cocaine on the day of the crime. He attempted to request a reduced sentence under privileged homicide, which carries a lighter penalty, on the grounds that he had confessed, cooperated with the investigation, and understood the seriousness of his actions.

However, this argument was not accepted by the jurors. His defence stated that they would appeal the decision to try to reduce the sentence. Investigators observed that he didn't appear to be remorseful after the murder. “He showed no remorse, his behavior was not very normal,” said the investigating officer.

Furious locals hit out at the sentencing news on social media. One person said: "How is this going to turn our? 20 years is nothing to him. He took her life. She didn't get the chance to live another 20 years. Shame on these lawyers, what a shame." Another person complained: "Only 20, what justice is this? A third user wrote: "It's still not enough for the monstrosity he committed."