Iranian refugee strangled widow on her allotment
AN IRANIAN immigrant has been found guilty of strangling an elderly widow to avoid being thrown off the allotment to which he was introduced by an anti-torture charity.
Rahim Mohammadi killed 80-year-old Lea Adri-soejoko with a lawnmower cable and hid her body at Colindale allotments in north London in February last year.
The allotment secretary was found dead in a locked mower shed after her family raised concerns that she had failed to turn up to a meeting.
Kurdish Mohammadi, 42, from Hackney, east London, was found guilty of her murder yesterday following a retrial at the Old Bailey.
Mohammadi had been involved with the allotment since 2008 through Freedom from Torture, an organisation that helps torture victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
The court heard that Mohammadi had sought political asylum in Britain in 2005 and was given indefinite leave to remain in 2010.
In September 2016, Mohammadi clashed with Mrs Adri-soejoko at an allotment association meeting. During a heated discussion over evictions she had told him to “shut up” and Mohammadi called her a “bloody old witch”, the court heard.
In February last year, Mohammadi beat up Mrs Adrisoejoko on the allotment, causing bruises and fractures to the ribs. The prosecution alleged he then strangled her with the cable to stop her from reporting the attack, which would have led to his eviction.
In a victim impact statement, Mrs Adri-soejoko’s family said there would be no closure for them, knowing she had suffered “indescribable torture”.
Judge Richard Marks QC adjourned sentencing until today.