A would-be cage fighter accused of beheading a great-grandmother in her garden has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity . Appearing briefly at London 's Old Bailey , Nicholas Salvador , nicknamed 'Fat Nick ' , spoke only to issue his plea . Dressed in black and flanked by three security guards , he also pleaded not guilty to a separate assault charge , giving the same reason . Nicholas Salvador ( right ) is accused of killing Palmira Silva ( left ) in her garden in September last year . The widow ran a successful cafe , Silva 's Cafe , in Church Street , Edmonton - where members of the public laid floral tributes after her murder on September 4 last year . Salvador , 25 , is accused of killing Palmira Silva , 82 , with a machete . She was found dead in a garden in Nightingale Road , Edmonton , north London , in September 2014 . The suburban street became the scene of a major police operation after officers were called to apprehend the alleged killer . Happy family : Palmira and her late husband Domenico with their now grown-up children , Celestina and Rino . Mrs Silva moved to London from her native southern Italy with her husband Domenico six decades ago . Several of the victim 's relatives , including her daughter Celestina , were in the courtroom to witness the plea . Mrs Silva moved to London from her native southern Italy with her husband Domenico six decades ago . They married and had a daughter , Celestina , and a son , Rino . The widow ran a successful cafe , Silva 's Cafe , in Church Street , Edmonton - where members of the public laid floral tributes after her murder on September 4 last year . Mr Silva died in 2008 but the family continued the business . Mrs Silva had only recently stopped working full time at the cafe that she and her son ran . Salvador , an only child , is thought to have left home at the age of around 13 or 14 after arriving in the UK from Nigeria with his parents . Police were forced to stage a dramatic evacuation operation to save neighbours during the incident , and an armed squad Tasered the suspect . The house in the busy street where the Italian widow 's body was found was the scene of a major police operation after officers were called initially to reports that a man had beheaded an animal . Scotland Yard said that its officers distracted a man after he was seen going through back gardens in Nightingale Road while they evacuated people from nearby homes . Judge Hilliard set a trial date of June 22 at the Old Bailey and Salvador was then escorted out of the dock . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Nicholas Salvador accused of beheading Silva 's Cafe in her garden . He pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity at London 's Old Bailey today . Also pleaded not guilty to a separate assault charge , citing same reason . Mrs Silva was found dead in a garden in Edmonton in September 2014 .