Man Jailed for Life for Murdering Flatmate, Three Years After Similar Killing in Romania

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his flatmate in east London, a crime eerily similar to a killing he committed in Romania years ago. Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, was found guilty of fatally stabbing his fellow Romanian, Gheorghe Trica, 63, in Walthamstow on February 20.

Appearing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Marks ordered Neamtu to serve a minimum term of 27 years. The court heard that Neamtu had stabbed Trica in the heart in circumstances almost identical to a previous murder in his home country. In May 2007, Neamtu was jailed for 15 years in Romania for murdering his housemate. That killing also involved repeated stabbing during a drunken argument over money.

Neamtu, a construction worker, had completed his Romanian prison sentence just three years before committing the fatal attack on Trica. The prosecution highlighted the striking similarity between the two homicides, underscoring Neamtu's violent history and the pattern of behavior that led to both fatal encounters.