Wife 'fed husband's body parts to family dog in agonising slow death'

Svetlana Batukova was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the murder of her husband, Horst Hans Henkels, in 2018, but has had her appeal rejected by the Spanish courts
A woman in Majorca was sentenced to 14 years behind bars after being found guilty of killing her husband in a gruesome crime that sent shockwaves across the nation.
The body of Horst Hans Henkels was discovered in the home he shared with his wife Svetlana Batukova, with parts of his corpse having been partially consumed by the family dog.
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Batukova, who hails from Russia, was 46-years-old at the time of the horrific murder. She later challenged the sentence she was initially handed, arguing there was insufficient evidence for a conviction.
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Local media reported Batukova pointed the finger at the dog for Henkels' death but this was debunked during the unfortunate victim's post mortem which revealed he had bled out after sustaining multiple stab wounds.
The Spanish court backed the forensic evidence and dismissed her allegations. They then upheld the original sentence which she is currently serving, reports the Mirror US.
The grisly murder occurred in the family residence at Sant Llorenç in 2016 where German national, Horst Hans Henkels, 66, was repeatedly stabbed and parts of his arms were reportedly stripped down to the bone.
The flesh removed from Henkels' arms was then eaten by the family's pet, an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, according to The Majorca Daily Bulletin.
The prolonged assault took place in the couple's flat where Henkels was allegedly first drugged before later dying on the floor due to blood loss.
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Henkels, who had recently undergone a surgical procedure on his trachea, was barely able to speak at the time of the attack and met his tragic end at the hands of his wife who used a kitchen knife in the horrific incident.
Police confirmed they had been called to the property several times in the months leading up to the death due to reports of domestic abuse.
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The couple were believed to have been together for two years before tying the knot, just months before Henkels' untimely death. Batukova was reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she was arrested.
Evidence presented during Batukova's 2020 appeal detailed how she continued to cut her husband's body until he died. She claimed that the couple's dogs were responsible for Henkels' death but her allegations were dismissed by forensic experts who were certain a knife was used in the killing.
Batukova's defence team claimed there were irregularities during their client's original trial and argued there wasn't enough evidence to prove she had murdered her husband. These arguments were dismissed by the court who upheld Batukova's original 14 year sentence.
During the initial investigation into Henkels' murder, it emerged that his wife had allegedly offered money to a third party to kill her husband but decided to take matters into her own hands.

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Daily Mirror

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Scottish Sun

17 hours ago

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Daily Record

a day ago

• Daily Record

Slain Ross Monaghan's DNA was found on gun used to shoot 'Gerbil' at Asda car park reveals ex-cop

The former cop claims that new DNA evidence linking Monaghan to the murder weapon emerged after he was cleared. Murdered gangster Ross Monaghan was cleared of killing rival Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll due to a forensics blunder, according to a top cop who worked on the case. The Gerbil was shot dead in an Asda car park in 2010 but rival gangster Monaghan was cleared of the killing two years later after a judge ruled there was not enough evidence. Another man, William 'Buff' Paterson, was later convicted of the notorious murder. ‌ ‌ Now a retired detective has revealed to the Daily Record that new DNA evidence linking Monaghan to the murder weapon emerged AFTER he was cleared. Monaghan himself was shot dead alongside pal Eddie Lyons jnr in a double execution in the Costa Del Sol last month. The retired cop said fresh DNA on the inner workings of the gun used to kill Gerbil proved Monaghan was one of the two shooters. He said: 'There is no escaping his DNA was on that gun. There is no escaping there was firearms discharge residue on his jacket. 'There is no escaping that a re-investigation found DNA on the inner workings of that gun. Ross Monaghan was responsible for shooting the Gerbil, along with Billy Paterson. One-hundred per cent.' The former policeman said a review of the case was carried out after Monaghan's acquittal and that other evidence came to light which made it clear he was involved in the hit. ‌ He said: 'They did find extra DNA on the gun. And it was on the internal workings of the gun in a position that would have absolutely negated any casual touch of the gun.' He also spoke of his anguish at a 'shocker' of a lab mistake that could have nailed Monaghan for the murder. Monaghan's DNA had been found on the handle of one of the guns, but the evidence was undermined when a lab technician's DNA was also found in the sample. ‌ The cop said: 'I was hugely disappointed and felt really let down by the mistakes made. 'We didn't know the DNA had been compromised by the lab worker until the trial. I don't know why we had no knowledge of that.' ‌ The ex-detective – one of the first officers at the crime scene in Glasgow's Robroyston – said of the mistake: 'That was a shocker because that was the mainstay of the evidence. Everybody was absolutely crestfallen by it.' He claimed evidence was not protected properly, saying: 'Somehow, somebody who shouldn't have been near that gun was allowed to handle it and left their DNA on it. No one has ever explained that satisfactorily.' He blasted: 'The police investigation was very thorough. The cops were let down by a blunder, that blunder made Scotland's streets much more unsafe than they ought to have been for another decade-and-a-half.' ‌ Monaghan and Lyons jnr – kingpings in the Lyons crime gang – were gunned down in a bar owned by Monaghan in the Costa Del Sol on May 31. Spanish police believe the executions are part of a bloody gangland feud with the rival Daniel crime clan that has spanned more than 25 years. The former cop does not know why another prosecution did not take place against Monaghan. Scots law allows for retrials in cases where new evidence emerges. His 'theory' is the Crown believed the DNA evidence was something that should have been found during the 'initial examination of the firearm'. ‌ He added: 'My understanding is it has to be something that wasn't available to the Crown at the time of the original prosecution.' In 2015, Lyons associate Paterson was found guilty of being one of the two masked gunmen who murdered Carroll. The retired cop added: 'We did incredible work. The Billy Paterson conviction proves that, but on Ross Monaghan we were let down severely.' ‌ The former cop, who we are not naming for his own safety, said Monaghan's acquittal 'undoubtedly' prolonged the gangland bloodshed. He said: 'In terms of the live criminal group, Ross Monaghan was central to the violence part of it. Billy Paterson and him were the ones most physically capable of violence. To leave one of them loose after that, of course there was other violence.' He said of the double murder of Monaghan and Lyons jnr in Spain: 'It was audacious but I didn't think it was surprising, given everything that has been going on in Scotland and beyond which, to me, was obviously an extension of the Lyons/Daniel feud. 'When you look at what's happened to all of that crowd, they are all either in the jail or dead. One by one, they have all been picked off.' ‌ He added: 'It's the most elongated and intense violence between two gangs I have ever heard of. I have never seen anything like it. It is unprecedented and it carries on to this day.' The Crown Office said: 'Prosecutors work closely with police to explore any evidential developments which would allow us to bring unresolved homicide cases to court. We do not confirm if an individual is, or has been, under investigation through that process.' The Scottish Police Authority said: ' SPA Forensic Services uses cutting edge DNA scientific techniques which are accredited to international quality standards and assessed annually.'