Lucian Stinci jailed for life for hammer murder Published duration 6 March 2018

image copyright Met Police image caption Lucian Stinci was "an evil, wicked man" who was "obsessed" with victim Florina Pastina, police said

An obsessed man who murdered his housemate in a "sustained and brutal" hammer attack has been jailed for life.

Lucian Stinci battered Florina Pastina at their shared home in south London after he spent the night taking cocaine and watching sadomasochistic porn.

The Old Bailey heard he was infatuated, sending cards calling her the "most beautiful creature from the universe" and filming her in the shower.

Judge Richard Marks QC told him he would serve at least 20 years.

The 34-year-old hotel worker admitted the murder - saying he "just snapped" when Ms Pastina asked if anything was wrong.

He said he felt "disoriented and agitated" after taking cocaine and a Viagra-like drug and drinking seven or eight cans of cider at the Croydon house on 19 July last year.

image copyright Met Police image caption Florina Pastina worked as a teacher at Kensington Avenue Primary School, Croydon

He told the sentencing hearing: "I felt a rage like she had done something to me in the past. Thinking back frustration and anger about things.

"It happened very abruptly."

The Romanian national told the court he fetched the hammer from his bedroom before striking his 36-year-old victim repeatedly for about 30 seconds.

He denied prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC's claims that he poured boiling water from the kettle over Ms Pastina's pubic area as she lay dead on the kitchen floor.

After the attack he turned the hammer on his victim's 25-year-old niece and nephew, twins Nicholas Hellen and Claudia Pastina, who managed to escape.

The court heard he admitted he found videos of women being tortured or hurting themselves "fascinating".

Det Ch Insp Noel McHugh previously told the court Stinci was "an evil, wicked man" who was obsessed with his victim.

A statement from Kensington Avenue Primary School, where Florina worked, described her as a "kind, caring teacher and person".

"This has had a significant impact on the children, families and staff at the school."

Stinci, a supervisor at the nearby Mayday Hotel, pleaded guilty to murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, unlawful wounding and possession of cocaine.

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