Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, a Romanian national with a prior murder conviction, has been found guilty of fatally stabbing his flatmate in north-east London after a dispute over £5. The attack took place on the evening of Friday February 20 inside the shared flat the two men occupied on Westbury Road, Walthamstow.
Single knife blow to the chest
Witnesses said the pair had been arguing, with 63-year-old Gheorghe Trica demanding the return of £5. Neamtu armed himself with a steak knife from the kitchen and stabbed his flatmate once. The blade penetrated the heart, causing catastrophic internal bleeding. Pathologists told the court the wound was inflicted with severe force.
Paramedics and Metropolitan Police officers arrived at 8.51pm to find Trica unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite extensive efforts to save him.
Neamtu called 999 and claimed self-defence
In a chilling twist, Neamtu himself dialled 999 minutes later. Speaking through a Romanian interpreter, he told the operator: “There was an incident here and a person is injured. There was an altercation, a man was cut, and I am the perpetrator.”
Residents who were in the flat at the time described hearing a prolonged argument. They said Neamtu remained calm after the stabbing and was seen on the communal balcony making a throwing motion. A police dog later recovered the bloodstained steak knife from the garden below. Neamtu admitted in interview that he had taken the knife from the kitchen.
He claimed self-defence, alleging Trica had verbally abused him, pushed him down stairs and tried to attack him with a chair. Detectives found no supporting evidence. A medical examination recorded only minor superficial injuries on Neamtu. None of the witnesses saw Trica armed or behaving aggressively in the way Neamtu described.
Previous murder conviction in Romania
The jury also heard that Neamtu had previously killed a man in almost identical circumstances. In 2006 he was convicted at the Arges Court of Justice in Romania of a serious knife attack that began as an argument over money and rent. He stabbed the victim multiple times in the chest. The man died. Neamtu served a 15-year sentence and was released in May 2023 before travelling to the UK. Fingerprint evidence confirmed he was the same defendant. In both cases he claimed self-defence.
Detective Inspector Jonathan Potter, who led the investigation, said: “Gheorghe’s death was a tragic and unnecessary loss of life, and our thoughts remain with his family and friends. Eugeniu Neamtu is a dangerous offender who demonstrated a willingness to use extreme violence during a petty dispute. The jury heard overwhelming evidence of his actions. This conviction ensures a dangerous individual has been removed from our communities. We hope today’s verdict offers a sense of justice for Gheorghe Trica’s loved ones.”
Prosecutors built the case on witness testimony, forensic evidence, the emergency call recordings, pathology findings and the recovered murder weapon. Neamtu was arrested the same evening and charged two days later. He was convicted of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday.
