A convicted murderer from Romania who moved to the UK committed an almost identical killing just three years after he was released from prison.
Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, known as Jimmy, was found guilty and jailed in his home country back in May 2007 after murdering his housemate by stabbing him in the chest in a drunken row over money.
He was freed in 2023 and moved to Walthamstow, east London, where he fatally stabbed a flatmate in the chest on February 20 in what a prosecutor said were “strikingly similar” circumstances.
Previous conviction revealed in trial
Neamtu’s earlier murder conviction can now be reported after he was found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering fellow Romanian Gheorghe Trica, 63.
Before the week-long trial began, prosecutor Philip Evans KC had asked for the full details of the earlier stabbing to be put before the jury because of its “powerful probative evidence” in the new case.
He pointed out many aspects of the two cases were the same and the fact Neamtu would have known his second victim, Mr Trica, might die if he was stabbed in the chest.
During legal argument, Mr Evans said: “The court in Romania in 2007 rejected the argument he did not intend to inflict injury in 2006. This is directly relevant to a key issue – was it to scare him or cause serious bodily harm?”
Defence barrister Paul Hynes KC argued it would be too prejudicial to his client for the full circumstances to be shared with the jury.
Judge Richard Marks KC allowed some details to be put before the jury but not that the first victim had in fact died from stab wounds to the heart and lungs, or that Neamtu had been convicted of his murder.
In his ruling, Judge Marks told the prosecution: “In fairness, I am not proposing to allow you to adduce the consequences of the death.”
Striking similarities in both killings
During the trial, Mr Evans told jurors Neamtu had been convicted in Romanian over a stabbing in 2007. Drawing comparison between the two incidents, he said the defendant had used a similar knife and tried to dispose of it and claim he acted in self defence.
Opening the facts to jurors, Mr Evans said there had been an argument between the defendant and Mr Trica at the flat they shared in Walthamstow. Both had shouted insults in Romanian and Mr Trica was heard to say: “Give me back those £5.”
At one point a bystander exclaimed: “Oh my God, he has cut Trica,” and the victim was found in a pool of blood, jurors were told.
Mr Trica collapsed on the communal balcony outside the front door of the flat and died at the scene, despite efforts of police and medics. Afterwards, the defendant was seen to throw something over the banister of the balcony.
A police dog was used to search the area and the murder weapon – a black-handled steak knife – was recovered from the garden.
Following his arrest, Neamtu claimed in prepared statements that Mr Trica had threatened to kill him, pushed him down the stairs and made throat-slitting gestures. He said he picked up the knife from the kitchen to “scare” Mr Trica and stabbed him in the chest to protect himself.
Mr Evans pointed out that Neamtu had stabbed someone before and tried to cast the blame on that victim.
That previous conviction in May 2007 related to an incident in August the year before, at the home of Adrian Vas, where he was living. Mr Evans said the housemates had been drinking plum brandy and rowed over rent and work that the defendant had agreed to carry out at the property.
During the confrontation, the defendant took up a knife from the hallway and stabbed Mr Vas several times in the chest, jurors were told. That knife was later recovered from the grounds of the property.
The defendant told Romanian authorities that he and Mr Vas had argued, insulted each other and fought with objects to hand, and that it was possible he struck Mr Vas with a knife in self‑defence.
In later accounts, he said that he picked up a knife because he was afraid and that Mr Vas had provoked him, the court was told.
The Romanian court rejected the defendant’s claim of self‑defence.
Mr Evans said: “The prosecution in this case relies on this previous conviction because of the striking similarities between the circumstances of that offence and the allegation you are concerned with in this trial.
“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. In both cases he stabbed the other man in the chest. In both cases he later claimed that he acted in self‑defence.”
Guilty verdict and sentencing
Neamtu, of Westbury Road, Walthamstow, was assisted by an interpreter in court. He denied murder but declined to give evidence in his trial.
The jury deliberated for three hours to find him guilty of murder.
Following the verdict, Judge Marks told jurors the victim in Romania had died and remanded the defendant into custody to be sentenced on Friday.
