A British man has admitted murdering an Indian-origin single mother he had met on an online dating site.
Miles Donnelly pleaded guilty yesterday to the murder of 44-year-old Usha Patel, whose body was found in her flat in Cricklewood area of north-west London in October last year.
She had been stabbed, beaten across the face and strangled by the 35-year-old who later went on the run before being arrested by Scotland Yard.
He had initially denied charges of murder but on the day his two-week trial was to begin at Old Bailey Court in London he admitted the crime and now faces life in prison for the crime.
"The injuries are such as to suggest to me a terrible ferocity and I have to say possibly sadistic conduct over and above violence used to kill," Judge Rebecca Poulet said as she suspended sentencing till Thursday.
The court heard that Donnelly, aka Miles Ryan, first came into online contact with Patel in April last year and the pair went on to meet in person before continuing to keep in touch.
The murder occurred after Patel invited him over to her home on October 7 with the understanding of having sex. They had both undressed when Donnelly attacked the mother-of-one, stabbing her 16 times and punching her around the head.
Detectives investigating the murder found his set of house keys inside the flat and forensic evidence including samples from a wine glass was also matched to him.
After he killed Patel, Donnelly hid at the home of a 43-year-old woman who lived on the same street as him. He stayed there for 36 hours before attacking her with a stool as well. He was eventually arrested on October 11, 2015.
Patel, who had her five-year-old autistic son in the flat during the murder, was discovered the next day when the boy's grandfather arrived to pick him up and was told his mother was still sleeping.
Detective Inspector James Stevenson, of the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Major Crime Command, said, "Donnelly declined to answer any questions put to him during his police interviews and has never offered any information as to why he assaulted and killed Usha Patel that night. Usha's family are completely devastated. Today, I am pleased that Donnelly now faces a considerable prison term".
Donnelly had a lifestyle of drink and drugs and a long criminal history.
