Serial Killer Jailed: Romanian Man Who Murdered Flatmate Had Prior Conviction for Near-Identical Killing
A convicted murderer who traveled to the UK after serving time in his home country has been sentenced to at least 27 years in prison for the brutal slaying of his flatmate in east London.
Eugeniu Neamtu, 59, was found guilty of murdering 63-year-old Gheorghe Trica following a drunken argument at their home in Walthamstow on February 20. The conviction comes after a chilling revelation that Neamtu had previously been imprisoned in Romania for a remarkably similar crime.
A Pattern of Violence
The Old Bailey heard that the circumstances of the two killings were "strikingly similar." In May 2007, Neamtu was convicted of murdering a housemate in Romania by stabbing him in the chest during a dispute over money. After being released from prison in 2023, he eventually made his way to the UK, where he ultimately committed a second murder.
During the trial for the death of Mr. Trica, prosecutor Philip Evans KC highlighted the disturbing parallels between the two incidents. In both cases, the defendant had been consuming alcohol before engaging in a heated argument with an associate regarding financial matters. In both instances, Neamtu retrieved a kitchen knife and delivered a fatal, single stab wound to the victim’s chest before attempting to claim self-defense.
The Walthamstow Murder
On the day of the attack, witnesses reported hearing the two men shouting at one another in Romanian. During the altercation, Mr. Trica was overheard demanding, "Give me back those £5."
The violence escalated rapidly, leaving onlookers horrified. A bystander later recounted seeing the aftermath, crying out, "Oh my God, he has cut Trica," as the victim was found in a pool of blood. Despite the urgent intervention of police and medical responders, Mr. Trica collapsed on the building’s communal balcony and died at the scene.
Neamtu himself alerted authorities shortly after the incident. In a 999 call translated by an interpreter, he admitted: "There was an altercation, a man was cut, and I am the perpetrator."
Despite his initial confession to the operator, Neamtu later attempted to portray himself as a victim, claiming in prepared statements that Mr. Trica had threatened his life, pushed him down stairs, and made gestures suggesting he intended to slit his throat. He argued that he grabbed the knife merely to scare his housemate and stabbed him in self-defense. The jury rejected these claims after just three hours of deliberation.
"Extremely Dangerous"
In passing the sentence, Judge Marks underscored the severity of the case and the clear danger the defendant poses to the public.
"The fact that you killed another man within two or three years from your release from prison underlines in my mind how dangerous you are," the judge stated, sentencing Neamtu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years.
This case has sparked significant discussion regarding the movement of convicted murderers across borders, as authorities grapple with how such an individual was able to enter the UK and repeat such a violent crime so soon after his release from a foreign prison.
