Aliny Godinho: Murdered in front of her daughter
Killer Britain with Dermot MurnaghanThe tragic murder of Aliny Godinho tells a story of obsession, domestic abuse, and police failures. 39-year-old Aliny, originally from Brazil, was the mother of four young children who lived close to Surrey in Epsom.
In February 2019, Godinho was stabbed repeatedly by her ex-husband while she was on her way to collect her sons from primary school. Her horrifying murder was witnessed by her three-year-old daughter, who was powerless to prevent the brutal attack.
Join us here at Crime+Investigation as we dive deeper into the horrific murder of Aliny Godinho and examine how the system that should have protected her failed to do so. The case is also featured on the latest series of Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan, which is available now on Crime+Investigation.
Who was Aliny Godinho?
Aliny Godhino was born in Brazil on 15th June 1979, and moved to England in 2003. At the time of her death, Aliny had three sons aged 6, 8, and 12, along with a daughter who was 3. She was described by her sister Tatiane Mendes as 'a spectacular person with a heart full of love to give to everyone around her.'
Tatiane also spoke of Aliny’s cooking talents and how she took to being a mother with ease:
'She knew how to do it like nobody else. She took care of her children as if they were great, precious stones, always taking care of them with great care and protection at all times.'
Aliny and Ricardo Godinho
Aliny met Ricardo Godhino in 2001 while still in Brazil. They met in Belo Horizonte while working and began a relationship in 2003. By September that year, the two moved to the UK. They weren’t married, but they were able to obtain visas by using fake marriage certificates.
In 2008, the two briefly returned to Brazil due to medical reasons, but by 2013, they had returned. They set up a home for themselves in Epsom and started a family.
Ricardo Godinho’s abuse
Throughout the 17 years that the couple were together, Ricardo was consistently abusive. He often threatened to kill her or himself, and in December 2018, Aliny tried to escape from him by hiding at a friend's home with her children. Ricardo found them by claiming that he had reported his family missing.
A response officer for the case stated that it was 'highly unlikely the police had disclosed Mrs Godinho's location and he had possibly tracked her phone'. In the statement that Aliny made following this escape attempt, she told police that he called her 'good for nothing'.
In 2013, Aliny tried to leave, but Ricardo destroyed her passport and threatened her. Merely days before her death, Aliny was made aware that Ricardo was accessing her emails and her iCloud account.
The police arranged a meeting on 8th February but Aliny pushed it back. Unfortunately, it would be too late, as that was the day she was murdered.
The murder of Aliny Goinho
On 8th February 2019, Aliny was on her way to pick up her sons from school alongside her 3-year-old. After getting off the bus, she started walking hand in hand with her daughter on London Road in Ewell.
Ricardo had planned an attack on Aliny while she was on the usual school pickup route. He tracked her movements, mounted the curb with his black truck, and attacked Aliny with a kitchen knife. He stabbed her repeatedly as their daughter watched.
Aliny was stabbed up to seven times during the 17-second attack. Despite attempts to save her from witnesses, members of the public, and EMTs, she died from two fatal wounds to the neck.
Police failings
Surrey Police were found to have failed to respond appropriately to Aliny’s complaints, as stated by Surrey coroner Richard Travers. Their negligence included failure to recognise Aliny as high risk, and not appropriately following domestic abuse procedures.
The charges and sentence
Ricardo Godinho was charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and murder. He was found guilty on both counts in July 2019 and was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years in prison.
The death of Aliny Godinho is a tragic and infuriating case. Her death could have undoubtedly been prevented if her complaints had been treated with more urgency.
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