British nanny drops court bombshell

A British nanny to the sons of a murdered Wall Street banker has dropped a court bombshell, claiming that the prime suspect – who later married the victim’s wealthy widow – confessed to the killing.

Kathryn Mayne told the court in the United States that electrician Daniel Pelosi admitted murder and also threatened to kill her.

Pelosi, 41, is accused of bludgeoning rich banker Theodore Ammon to death at his seaside mansion on Long Island in October 2001.

Soon after the gruesome killing, Pelosi wooed the victim’s widow, Generosa, and married her.

Ms Mayne, who once managed the Ammons’ 22-acre British estate, told the trial yesterday that Pelosi confessed when drunk.

The 59-year-old nanny said Pelosi told “about how he had beaten and beaten him and how Ted had begged for his life”.

“It was just horrendous and I was very scared. He was trying to frighten me,” she said.

Ms Mayne said Pelosi was a bad husband to Ms Ammon and often demanded cash.

She said he once told her: “I gave this woman money. I killed her husband and she won’t give me a few hundred thousand dollars.”

“There would be horrendous fights and rows,” she recalled.

“He would be demanding money. I have never seen anything like it. He would scream and shout and throw things.”

A prosecution witness said earlier this week that Pelosi blew €5.1m.

As the rows grew worse, Ms Mayne decided to move out of the couple’s home and returned to the Ammon mansion.

As she was packing a vehicle for the move, she said, Pelosi arrived at the house and confronted her “nose to nose”.

She said he told her: “I’m going to kill you.”

After 16 months of marriage, Generosa and Pelosi split. Ms Ammon died of cancer last year and left Pelosi nothing in her will.

Instead, Ms Mayne was awarded custody of the Ammons’ two children, now 14, and Mrs Ammon left her $1m (€775,500) and a lifetime use of the mansion.

Pelosi was arrested and is now on trial on Long Island for murdering Mr Ammon, who died, aged 52, after suffering more than 30 blows to the head.

The trial continues.