Venice horror as two Brits arrested for ‘stabbing man in neck in Valentines Day row’ | World | News

Two Brits have been charged with attempted murder in Venice after a man was stabbed in the neck in the city.

Two cousins, aged 19 and 20, allegedly followed a young woman between bars near the Rialto Bridge after the older cousin contacted her on Instagram, local media outlet La Nuova, reported. A 22-year-old Venetian man, who stepped in between the cousins and the woman, was taken to hospital with a damaged artery after the older cousin allegedly passed a 10cm switchblade to his relative.

The victim, reports said, was trying to defend a friend from the obsessive pressure of one of the two Englishmen, who had insistently asked her to meet up via Instagram and who on the night of February 14 – after meeting her by chance in a bar – had started following her. Italian media reported that one of the British men said: “She’s my girlfriend, I love her. The problem is, unfortunately, she doesn’t love me,” and then reported the Venetian man saying: “You are in Italy, my home.”

The Venetian man, local reports said, was then stabbed in the neck. He then collapsed, having removed the blade from his own neck, throwing the knife to the ground.

Police underwater officers are now looking for the switchblade in the city’s Canal Grande. Local reports said the two Brits were arrested and brought before prosecutors. Reports said the two had travelled to Venice for a holiday. They arrived at the end of January and were due to return to England on February 27 on a pre-booked flight.

Venetian news outlet La Nuova also said the two cousins remained untraceable for a week, until the Flying Squad found them hiding in the home of one of the men’s grandmothers in Castello, who is currently abroad.