Romanian national jailed for life over flatmate murder

Eugeniu Neamtu, a 59-year-old Romanian national, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 27 years at the Old Bailey on August 21, 2026, for the murder of his flatmate in an attack described by the judge as "strikingly similar" to a killing he committed in his home country years earlier. Neamtu, who was living in the UK illegally, fatally stabbed fellow Romanian Gheorghe Trica, 63, in the heart during a dispute over a 5 debt at their shared flat in Walthamstow, east London, on February 20, 2026.

The court heard that on the day of the murder, an argument erupted between the two men, with both shouting insults in Romanian. Witnesses heard Mr. Trica demand, "Give me back those 5." During the altercation, Neamtu stabbed Mr. Trica. A bystander reportedly exclaimed, "Oh my God, he has cut Trica." The victim collapsed on the communal balcony outside the front door and died at the scene despite the efforts of police and paramedics. Neamtu was observed throwing an object over the balcony banister, and a police dog later recovered the murder weapon, a black-handled steak knife, from the garden below.

Neamtu claimed in prepared statements that Mr. Trica had threatened him,...