Nanny's evidence helps convict electrician

An electrician was convicted of murdering a wealthy Wall Street banker, following bombshell evidence from a British nanny.

Daniel Pelosi was found guilty yesterday of bludgeoning Theodore Ammon to death at his seaside mansion, before later marrying his victim’s widow.

The verdict followed crushing evidence by nanny Kathryn Mayne, 59, who still cares for Mr Ammon’s children.

Mr Ammon was savagely beaten as he slept at his €8.7m mansion on Long Island three years ago.

Soon after his death, his widow Generosa Ammon wed Pelosi and they fled amid a barrage of media attention to the Ammons’ 22-acre estate, called Coverwood, in Cranleigh, Surrey.

They later returned to the United States as the marriage soured.

Mrs Ammon died of cancer last year, leaving a million-dollar fortune to Ms Mayne, and giving her lifelong use of her mansion.

Pelosi’s eight-week trial on Long Island heard tails of adultery and betrayal.

Among the most dramatic evidence was that given by Ms Mayne, as she told the court how Pelosi, 41, confessed to the brutal October 2001 murder.

She also accused Pelosi of threatening to kill her.

She told how Pelosi bragged “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.” The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about 23 hours over three days before reaching its unanimous verdict.

Pelosi faces 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 25.

Pelosi closed his eyes when the verdict was read by the forewoman.

Before the jury walked into the courtroom, he made the sign of the cross and shook hands with all three of his lawyers.

After the verdict was read, he sat back down, with his hands on his face. The normally talkative defendant did not speak.

Pelosi had claimed that it was Mrs Ammon who had killed her husband.

“It was Generosa Ammon, not Danny Pelosi, who was filled with hate and anger,” said Pelosi’s lawyer Gerald Shargel in his closing argument.

Following the verdict, Pelosi’s sister, Barbara Lukert left the court in tears.

“He didn’t do it. He didn’t do it,” she said.

Mr Ammon made his fortune working on corporate take-overs in the 1980s and 1990s.

He ran the private equity firm Chancery Lane Capital and was chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Centre in New York City.

Mr Ammon died after being struck more than 30 times in the head with a blunt object.