Wife killer gets life for sister-in-law's axe murder

A man with a "deep-seated hatred of women" has been sentenced to at least 28 years in prison for murdering his sister-in-law with an axe.

Nicolae Virtosu, 49, attacked Svetlana Mihalachi on 9 April 2021 at her home in Ilford, east London, the Old Bailey heard.

Ms Mihalachi, 53, died from her injuries five weeks later.

In 2010, Virtosu was convicted in Moldova of unlawfully killing his wife Anastasia by strangulation.

Judge Rosa Dean said the murder of Ms Mihalachi was "planned in cold blood and out of hatred" and said she had been "poorly served" by the authorities in the UK after she had reported Virtosu to both the Home Office and the police.

Ms Mihalachi's final months had been "filled with fear", the court heard - the relationship between the victim and defendant was strained and they often argued about chores, noise and money, before Virtosu began to threaten Ms Mihalachi.

She had informed the Home Office Virtosu had a conviction for killing his wife and was working in the UK illegally, and said she did not want him living with her.

"All that this achieved was a notice of removal," said Judge Dean, who added the police response to her calls for help had been "inadequate".

Judge Dean told the defendant: "Over the months building up to Svetlana Mihalachi's murder you harboured a hatred towards her."

The court was told Virtosu had fetched the axe from a garden shed before striking his sister-in-law up to 18 times.

He then "calmly walked away" before sending a text message to his brother to tell him his wife had died.

At his trial, Virtosu's defence was he had "diminished responsibility" for the killing due to a psychiatric disorder, but Judge Dean said: "I share the view of the prosecution that you were trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.

"I am sure you can remember what you did and why. You are an angry and impulsive man. You are also a resentful one."

She added: "You are a misogynist. In plain terms, you have a deep-seated hatred of women and you would not tolerate her telling you what to do or how to behave in her home."

The judge, who said Virtosu was an "exceptionally dangerous man", gave him a mandatory life sentence for murder.

The court heard when the defendant was 18 he was part of a group of four men who attacked and raped a woman at a hostel.

In a victim impact statement read to the court the defendant's brother, Iurie Virtosu, said: "Everyone blames me for what he did to Svetlana because he is my brother.

"I can only say I no longer consider him my brother. He is completely gone out of my heart.

"I have feelings of hatred towards him and I don't know if I can ever forgive him for what he has done."

Det Con Rosamund Ellis from the Met Police said in a statement: "Virtosu tried hard to give the impression that he wasn't responsible for his actions due to a mental health disorder, but his actions were not the result of delusions, they were the actions of an angry, violent man who launched a murderous attack on Svetlana as he had threatened to do on so many occasions.

"She was a wife and a mother and the depth of loss felt by her loved ones is immeasurable. My thoughts are with them today."

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