Philip Evans KC and Fraser Coxhill prosecuted the trial of Eugeniu Neamtu, who was convicted at the Old Bailey of the murder of his flatmate, Gheorghe Trica.
The prosecution case was that, following an argument at their shared flat in Walthamstow on 20 February 2026, Neamtu stabbed Mr Trica in the chest, causing his death.
The court heard that Neamtu had previously been convicted of murder in Romania after stabbing a man following an argument over money. The circumstances of that offence were strikingly similar to the present case. In both incidents, Neamtu took a knife from the home, stabbed the other man in the chest and subsequently claimed to have acted in self-defence.
At his sentencing hearing today, Neamtu was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years.
Neamtu denied murder and maintained that he had acted in self-defence. Following a week-long trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict after three hours of deliberation.
Philip and Fraser were instructed by Tazkia Rahman of the CPS Homicide Unit London North.
The case has been featured in national press:
Philip Evans KC
Fraser Coxhill