Architect who 'threatened to kill' daughter of oral surgeon and beautician after he botched plans for their new clinic and cut through a gas pipe is struck off

By AIDAN RADNEDGE, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:10, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 12:10, 18 August 2026 An architect accused of threatening to kill an oral surgeon and beautician's daughter after messing up building plans for their new clinic has been struck off.  Joan Beltri launched a 'campaign of harassment, abuse and threats' via email and voicemail towards his clients over work in Winchester, Hampshire, a tribunal heard. He also threatened married couple Dr James Escoda-Francoli, 45, and 36-year-old Carolina Sampietro – saying he would 'kill them all'. Dr Escoda-Francoli, a specialist oral surgeon, and Mrs Sampietro, an aesthetics practitioner, hired Mr Beltri to work on the beauty clinic they were building. But the relationship soured after a series of blunders, including the cutting through of a gas pipe while Mr Beltri carried out work for which he was not qualified. Mr Beltri – who describes himself as a structural engineer and an artificial intelligence engineer – failed to secure permission from the local council to work on the Grade II listed building in Winchester. It led to Mr Beltri, a Spanish compatriot of his clients, insulting Dr Escoda-Francoli – claiming his wife was sleeping with other men and saying: 'If I saw you in the street, I would spit in your face.' Dr Escoda-Francoli and Mrs Sampietro, from Southampton, were then horrified to learn their architect had said: 'I will kill them all. It's what I will do. Their parents, their family, and their children.' Architect Joan Beltri (pictured) has been struck off after being accused of threatening to kill an oral surgeon and beautician's daughter after botching building plans for their new clinic Aesthetics practitioner Carolina Sampietro (pictured) was the subject of abusive messages from Mr Beltri, a tribunal heard The dispute centre over plans for a new clinic being built in Winchester, Hampshire Mr Beltri has now been struck off by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). Dr Escoda-Francoli is a top oral surgeon working in Hampshire, who was previously an Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona. Mrs Sampietro is a registered aesthetics nurse who is opening her own clinic in Winchester in October. The couple moved to the UK from northern Spain in 2016. The hearing was told that Mr Beltri first registered as an architect in the UK in 2010. Mr Beltri started working for Mrs Sampietro and Dr Escoda-Francoli in August 2024 after they purchased the Grade II listed building in Winchester which they wanted to turn into an aesthetic clinic. There were disputes between Mr Beltri and his clients, often centred on which work should be subcontracted and which he should do himself. When he was working on the project, he failed to make a written agreement about the works, failed to ensure the build was in accordance with building control, and did not get planning permission to start work on a Grade II listed property. Mr Beltri also carried out work he was not qualified to do, such as cutting a gas pipe because there was a leak after the boiler was changed. PIctured together are married couple Dr James Escoda-Francoli and Carolina Sampietro, an aesthetics practitioner, who hired Mr Beltri to work on the beauty clinic they were building There were disputes between Mr Beltri (pictured) and his clients, often centred on which work should be subcontracted and which he should do himself, a committee was told Mrs Sampietro is a registered aesthetics nurse who is opening her own clinic in Winchester later this year - she and her husband Dr James Escoda-Francoli moved from Spain in 2016 The couple ended Mr Beltri's contract in November 2024 and also reported him to ARB. He then became increasingly abusive towards the couple for months, leaving voicemail messages such as 'I have never come across such a son of a b**** as you' and 'You're a bunch of motherf*****s'. He referred to Dr Escoda-Francoli as a 'homosexual' and called him a 'son of a b****'. It was heard Mr Beltri threatened the couple's daughter while speaking to ARB officials. Mr Beltri said 'he was so angry he would kill them and their child,' and that 'I let Mrs Sampietro know that my only response to any allegation brought by her is that she is a b****'. Mr Beltri also told an ARB official: 'I will kill them all. It's what I will do. Their parents, their family, and their children.' Mr Beltri, representing himself, told the ARB tribunal: 'I do not apologise for the communications because I maintain that I did not use abusive or threatening language. 'I do not accept the characterisation of my conduct as harassment, abuse or threats.' An illustration of the inside of the clinic planned for opening in Winchester this October The ARB tribunal has now decided to strike him off, with the ruling panel saying: 'The committee accepted the evidence of all the witnesses that they had found the communications from [Mr Beltri] deeply distressing. 'The committee is satisfied that it is appropriate to describe [Mr Beltri]'s actions as a campaign of harassment, abuse and threats from April until August 2025, when the ARB instructed solicitors to write to [Mr Beltri]'. Speaking after the tribunal, Mrs Sampietro said that her experience with Mr Beltri had been a 'nightmare'. Mrs Sampietro said she was recommended Mr Beltri through friends because he was also from the north of Spain. She said she tried to tell Mr Beltri he needed to get professionals in to carry out the electrical work but he had carried on with the works himself. The last straw, she added, was when he cut the gas pipe in the building and left it open for several hours. She said: 'He was lying to me he said he was going to contact an electrician but I never saw a proper electrician. I saw people working there but they worked in construction, more like helpers. It was him all the time.' Talking about Mr Beltri cutting the gas pipe, she said: 'He sent me a photo with the pipes cut and so I really quickly called an engineer and they told me 'this is very dangerous'. 'He had left a gas pipe open in a building were there are people living upstairs. After that day he never came back.' Talking about the harassment she received, Mrs Sampietro said: 'He wasn't in a good mental state at that point. Speaking after the tribunal, Mrs Sampietro (pictured) said that her experience with Mr Beltri had been a 'nightmare' 'He was sending me hundreds of emails every day. He still calls me today. I blocked him everywhere, but you can see he is still sending me things. 'He tried to get on to my social accounts. I receive emails like someone tried to enter your account. My Facebook account was blocked because there were so many attempts to enter my account. 'He is obsessed with all of this, but with me particularly. He doesn't go after my husband usually. He is more abusive with me. 'I reported him to the police and at the moment he is living in Spain so that is better.' Mrs Sampietro said she took more safety precautions like making sure the windows are shut and doors are locked because of his threats to her and her family, including her five-year-old daughter. She said: 'I try to be careful and take my measures. It affects me in that way to take extra security steps. 'It reassures me that he won't come back to the UK if he can't work as an architect here. 'It is not done yet, but it is a little bit better because at least he can't work in that space and he can't do that to any other people. 'It is peace of mind because I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone - you know, it was a nightmare.'