A convicted Romanian murderer, Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, has been sentenced to life in prison in the UK for fatally stabbing his flatmate, Gheorghe Trica, 63, in an incident bearing striking similarities to a previous crime in his home country.
Neamtu entered the UK on a six-month tourist visa in 2023, claiming he had no prior convictions. However, he had been released from a Romanian prison just four months earlier, where he had served time for a 2007 murder conviction. In that earlier incident, Neamtu repeatedly stabbed his housemate over a dispute concerning money and household chores.
In February of this year, Neamtu again became involved in a dispute over money, this time with his flatmate Mr. Trica at their shared residence in Walthamstow, east London. The argument escalated after Mr. Trica asked Neamtu to repay £5. During the altercation, Neamtu stabbed Mr. Trica in the chest. Mr. Trica collapsed on the doorstep and died at the scene despite efforts by emergency services.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, the prosecution highlighted the remarkable parallels between the two killings, noting that 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 for the recent killing as "exceptionally trivial" and cited Neamtu's previous conviction as an "extremely aggravating factor." The judge also noted Neamtu's dangerousness, stating that killing another person within three years of his release from prison underlined this. Neamtu was found guilty of murder and ordered to serve a minimum term of 27 years.
Neamtu failed to declare his criminal history or his intention to work upon his arrival in the UK, meaning he was not in the country lawfully at the time of the killing. After his arrest, Neamtu claimed in prepared statements that Mr. Trica had threatened him and pushed him. He stated he picked up a knife from the kitchen to scare Mr. Trica and stabbed him in self-defense. However, the Romanian court had previously rejected his self-defense claim in the earlier murder case.
The murder weapon, a black-handled steak knife, was recovered from the garden of the property. In a 999 call, Neamtu admitted to being the perpetrator, stating, "There was an incident here and a person is injured. There was an altercation, a man was cut, and I am the perpetrator."
Following the conviction, a Home Office spokesperson stated that they would seek to deport Neamtu after his sentencing.