Carmelo Cinturrino, a policeman arrested earlier this week on suspicion of murdering a drug pusher in Milan a month ago and planting a blank gun at the scene to justify his alleged self-defence, on Thursday asked for forgiveness and said he would pay for his "mistake".

"That boy should have been in prison and not dead.

I'm sorry for his family.

I'm sad and sorry for what I did, but I felt desperate," said the assistant police superintendent in a letter delivered to his lawyer, Piero Porciani.

Cintiurrono is currently in prison on charges of voluntary homicide for allegedly killing Abderrahim Mansouri on January 26 in the Rogoredo woods, a notorious drug pushing spot on the outskirts of Milan.