Cage-fighter ex charged with murdering mum, 32, knifed to death in front of daughter, 13, and trying to kill neighbour
THIS is the first picture of the cage fighter charged with stabbing his ex-lover to death in front of her teenage daughter.
Andrew Wadsworth, 36, of Cranfield Road, Wigan, appeared before magistrates today charged with murder and attempted murder.
Melissa Belshaw, 32, suffered "catastrophic" injuries in the sickening attack outside her home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday afternoon.
A hero neighbour who tried to intervene was also seriously injured.
Neighbours said mum-of-one Melissa begged for help with "blood-curdling screams" as she was knifed in front of her daughter, who phoned the police.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jean Mulvaney, Melissa’s mum, said she’d lost the “most important person in her life”.
Grief-stricken Jean, 58, said: “She was a beautiful child and the most important person in my life. Now some monster has taken her away from me.
“My two sons - Lee and Nathan - are distraught. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here now, I’d be with Melissa.
“Melissa was so clever and planned to open her own beauty shop.
“She said to me, ‘I really hope it works out mum I want you to be proud of me.’ She was a real tryer.”
Police have praised two hero members of the public for their "extreme bravery" after they "ran towards danger" to help.
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One neighbour, in his 40s, is in a stable condition in hospital after being injured as he tried to tackle the knifeman.
A man also intervened and helped get Melissa's daughter out of the house to safety.
Wadsworth did not enter a plea during a short hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court and will next appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 26.
