A Romanian national convicted of murder in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing a fellow countryman in London. Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, was found guilty of the murder of Gheorghe Trica, 63, in February.
Neamtu, who had claimed to have no prior convictions upon entering the UK on a tourist visa in 2023, had in fact been released from prison in Romania just four months earlier. He had served a 15-year sentence for a murder conviction in May 2007, where he repeatedly stabbed his housemate during a dispute over money.
In London, the fatal altercation occurred at a shared flat in Walthamstow, east London, following a disagreement over £5. Mr. Trica collapsed outside the property and was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by paramedics. Investigators recovered a steak knife, believed to be the murder weapon, from the garden.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutors highlighted the striking similarities between the two killings, noting both involved a knife, occurred in a domestic setting, and stemmed from arguments over money. Neamtu had also claimed self-defense in both instances.
Judge Richard Marks KC described the motive in the London case as "exceptionally trivial" and cited Neamtu's previous conviction as an "extremely aggravating factor." The judge stated that Neamtu's commission of another murder within three years of his release underscored his dangerousness.
Neamtu denied murder and did not give evidence during his trial. The jury deliberated for three hours before reaching a guilty verdict. Authorities were not informed of the prior Romanian victim's death until after the verdict was delivered.
Following sentencing, the Home Office stated its intention to seek Neamtu's deportation from the UK.