A MAN who allegedly murdered his girlfriend may not have understood what he was doing at the time of the incident, a jury has heard.

Arguments are being summarised in the trial of Alberto Fioletti, a vet accused of murdering a woman in her Bournemouth home.

Jury members are expected to hear a summing up from his defence on Friday, who claim the defendant 'did not understand what he was doing' when he stabbed Stephanie Hodgkinson.

Fioletti, 31, has been facing trial at Bournemouth Crown Court since November 15.

He is accused of murdering his girlfriend Stephanie, 34, who was found with stab wounds at her Bournemouth home on May 12.

A post-mortem determined her cause of death was a series of seven stab wounds to her chest which severely injured her heart and lungs.

The jury heard a summary speech from prosecutors on Thursday.

Bournemouth Echo: Stephanie HodgkinsonStephanie Hodgkinson (Image: Dorset Police)

Prosecutor Steven Perian told the court that the defendant stabbed Stephanie because she had ‘the courage’ to end their relationship of seven months.

Fioletti wanted to give the relationship another go and “couldn’t handle the rejection”, Mr Perian said.

The defendant has admitted a charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denies murder.

In a police interview following his arrest, he told DC Kim Blackmore he was “completely out of control” and didn’t remember stabbing Stephanie.

Fioletti reported his last memories were becoming “overwhelmed with emotion” and punching his girlfriend to the floor.

Bournemouth Echo: Police and forensics at the scene on May 12Police and forensics at the scene on May 12 (Image: Daily Echo)

He said he only realised she had been fatally injured after seeing her “lying on the floor” and “bleeding”.

Fioletti’s defence argue that his mental health issues, specifically his diagnosed emotionally unstable personality disorder, did substantially impair his ability to understand the nature of his conduct, form a rational judgement or exercise self-control on May 12.

They conclude his mental health was a “significant contributory factor” in the incident.

The prosecution does not accept this defence; they argue that on May 12, Fioletti’s mental health issues did not result in a substantial impairment of his ability to understand the nature of his conduct, form a rational judgement or exercise self-control.

They conclude it was not a significant contributory factor when he “viciously inflicted” the stab wounds.