British man, 40, found dead and woman seriously injured 'after erotic game went wrong'

17 July 2022, 00:06

A 40-year-old British man has been found dead and a woman seriously injured 'after an erotic game went wrong' in Italy.

The unnamed man was found dead in his room in an Italian hotel next to a 43-year-old woman, thought to be his partner, who was covered in cuts and bruises.

They arrived at the four-star Hotel Continentale in Florence late on Friday evening and went out before returning at around 2am, local media reported.

Staff called police after the woman asked a chambermaid for help.

Paramedics raced to the scene and the woman was taken to hospital, where she was said to be in a serious but stable condition.

Local police and forensic teams were seen at the luxury hotel on Saturday, which is located a short walk away from the Ponte Vecchio in the historic centre of Florence, and investigations are reportedly under way.

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A police source told MailOnline: "The people involved are both British and at the moment we are working on two theories an erotic game that went wrong or some sort of domestic argument, but the general direction is that of an erotic game.

"The man was found with a series of cuts, bruises and other injuries on his body and so was the woman, although she was more seriously hurt and the man appears to have had some sort of seizure.

"There is blood in the room and the forensic teams are working there at the moment while the woman has been taken to hospital for treatment.

"Her current condition is serious but she is stable and her injuries are not life-threatening. We hope to question her at some point in the next few hours."

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: "We are in touch with the Italian police following the death of a British man in Florence."