Eugeniu Neamțu, 59, had been sentenced in 2007 in Romania to 15 years in prison for an almost identical killing. In 2023 he came to the UK as a visitor, failed to declare his criminal record and stayed illegally. In February 2026, after an argument over £5, he stabbed his flatmate. The judge called him “an extremely dangerous individual” and set a minimum of 27 years before he can be released.

(Staff: United Kingdom / Justice & Crime)

A shocking case of violence and recidivism was recently tried at the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court. Eugeniu Neamțu, a 59-year-old construction worker originally from Romania, was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 27 years to serve before being considered for release. The sentence was handed down by Judge Richard Marks KC, after a jury found him guilty of murdering his flatmate, 63-year-old Gheorghe Trica.

The 2026 murder – an argument over £5

The incident took place on 20 February 2026, in a flat in Walthamstow, east London, where the two Romanian men lived together with six other compatriots. That evening, a trivial dispute escalated rapidly. The victim, Gheorghe Trică, asked Neamțu to return the sum of £5. Witnesses heard the two men exchanging insults in Romanian, and then the victim’s voice was heard saying: “Give me back that £5.”

Within moments, Neamțu grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Trica in the chest. Another witness cried out in horror: “Oh my God, he has cut Trica.” The victim collapsed in a pool of blood on the communal balcony outside the flat and died at the scene, despite efforts from police and paramedics. The autopsy showed a single stab wound to the heart, causing catastrophic internal bleeding.

A 999 call and a weapon thrown over the railing

Immediately after the killing, Neamtu dialled 999. In the call, translated by an interpreter, he said: “There was an incident here and a person is injured. There was an altercation, a man was cut, and I am the perpetrator.” Later, several witnesses saw him throw something over the balcony railing. A police dog was used to search the area, and the murder weapon – a black-handled steak knife – was found in the garden.

In his subsequent statements, Neamțu claimed the victim threatened him, pushed him down the stairs, and made gestures as if cutting his throat. He said he grabbed the kitchen knife only to scare the victim, but stabbed him in the chest to protect himself. However, investigators found no evidence to support his version, and his injuries were minor. Neamtu denied the murder, refused to testify in court, and was assisted by an interpreter.

The 2007 murder – “remarkably similar”

What makes this case truly shocking is the killer’s violent past. In May 2007, Neamțu had been sentenced in Romania to 15 years in prison for the murder of another flatmate. On that occasion too, the victim had been stabbed in the chest during a drunken argument, also over money.

Judge Marks noted that the two killings were “remarkably similar”. In both cases, Neamtu argued with the victim over money, used a similar knife, stabbed the victim in the chest, and then claimed self-defence. In the 2006 case (tried in 2007), Neamtu had been drinking plum brandy with the victim, Adrian Vas, when they argued over rent and household chores.

“You killed another person within three years of your release”

Neamțu was released in 2023 and, in September of that year, travelled to the UK as a visitor. He did not declare his previous conviction or his intention to work, meaning he was in the country illegally at the time of the 2026 murder.

At sentencing, Judge Marks told Neamțu: “The fact you killed another person within three years of your release underlines how dangerous an individual you are.” The judge also noted that Neamtu had shown no remorse, and that his previous conviction in Romania was an “extremely aggravating factor”.

Conclusion