- Eugeniu Neamtu has been jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years for the murder of his flatmate Gheorghe Trica in Walthamstow, east London.
- Neamtu stabbed Gheorghe Trica, 63, in the heart over a £5 debt during a drunken argument.
- This murder was described as almost identical to a previous killing in 2006, when Neamtu stabbed his housemate to death in Romania.
- Neamtu had previously been jailed for 15 years in Romania for the murder of his housemate Adrian Vas.
- Neamtu failed to declare his previous conviction or intention to work to UK authorities, making his presence in the UK illegal.
- In August 2006, Neamtu stabbed his housemate Adrian Vas to death during a drunken row over money.
- Neamtu claimed he acted in self-defense during both murders, despite overwhelming evidence against him.
- Neamtu's grisly past only emerged when he was found guilty of murdering Gheorghe Trica two days ago.
Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years for the murder of his flatmate, Gheorghe Trica, in Walthamstow, London, on February 20. The judge described the crime as stemming from an "exceptionally trivial fact"—a request for £5 repayment.12
Neamtu's actions mirrored a 2006 murder in Romania, where he fatally stabbed his housemate, Adrian Vas, during a drunken argument over money. He was sentenced to 15 years in Romania but was released in 2023 and moved to the UK without declaring his criminal history.3468
Judge Richard Marks KC noted Neamtu showed "no remorse" and emphasized that his prior conviction was an "extremely aggravating factor." Prosecutor Philip Evans KC highlighted the similarities in both cases, stating, "In both cases the defendant was involved in a drunken argument with an associate over money. In both cases he took up a knife from within the home." Neamtu's illegal status in the UK was due to his failure to disclose his previous conviction or intention to work, leading to his second murder charge.
Jurors were not informed of Neamtu's past conviction, which only came to light after his guilty verdict for the murder of Trica, aged 63.
“Neamtu, who stabbed flatmate Gheorghe Trica in the chest over a £5 debt, had been freed from a Romanian prison in 2023 and entered the UK illegally. Judge Richard Marks KC cited his previous conviction as an 'extremely aggravating factor' and noted he showed 'no remorse'.”
The Sun
