ITALIAN national Danilo Restivo did kill Heather Barnett.

The 39-year-old was yesterday convicted of the murder of the 48-year-old mum-of-two.

The jury of seven men and five women took five hours to reach their unanimous guilty verdict.

Restivo, of Chatsworth Road, Charminster, showed no emotion when the verdict was read to the court.

Members of Heather’s family were in tears as the man responsible for her death was finally brought to justice after eight and a half years.

Judge Mr Justice Burnett will sentence Restivo today.

Heather’s body was discovered in the bathroom of her home in Capstone Road, Charminster, on November 12, 2002. She had been hit over the head with a hammer-type object, her throat had been cut and both her breasts removed and place by the side of her head.

A clump of someone else’s cut hair was found in her right hand and strands of her own hair under her left.

The prosecution claimed Heather’s death was “strikingly similar” to that of Italian schoolgirl Elisa Claps, 16, who disappeared on September 12, 1993.

Her mummified remains were found in the loft of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Potenza in March last year.

Restivo has already been charged with Elisa’s murder and stands to be extradited to Italy to face the judicial process there.

A summarised trial hearing will be held in Italy on November 8 and 10.

Elisa’s funeral will be held on Saturday.

Speaking outside Winchester Crown Court yesterday, Det Supt Mark Cooper said: “The conviction of Danilo Restivo comes at the end of a very complex and challenging investigation for Dorset Police that was continuous over an eight and a half year period.

“The 12th of November 2002 was a very dark day for many people following the brutal murder of Heather Barnett, not least for her family and particularly her children.

“This was a truly horrendous and distressing murder that took away a person who was very special to so many people. When he took Heather Barnett’s life he took a large part of many other lives.”

He added: “I believe that this dangerous predator had watched over Heather for some time and carefully planned this horrendous crime.

“Despite his guilt, Restivo never moved away from his house that looked out on to Heather’s property and, perhaps most chilling of all, he even consoled her two children that afternoon following his cold and calculated actions.”

Det Supt Cooper added: “Hopefully they can now begin to bring some closure and our thoughts are very much with them.”

Dorset’s crown prosecutor Alastair Nisbet said: “The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the witnesses who came to the court to give evidence in the course of the trial, including other women whose hair Danilo Restivo had cut without consent, and other members of the public and expert scientific witnesses.”

Mr Nisbet also gave thanks to the Italian authorities and expert witnesses for their assistance.

He added: “Our thoughts are with Heather’s children and her wider family. I hope that this conviction brings some small measure of comfort.”