An 18-year-old Romanian youth was jailed for life on Tuesday for fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman near JR Kichijoji Station in Musashino, Tokyo, on Feb 28, 2013.

The Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court handed down the sentence after a jury of lay judges found the youth guilty.

The youth, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arrested along with a 19-year-old Japanese friend and charged with murdering Arisa Yamada.

The defendant told the court that he needed money to pay his rent, Sankei Shimbun reported. He said his friend killed the woman and stole 10,000 yen from her. However, his friend, who was tried last year and sentenced to life in prison, testified at his trial that it was the Romanian's idea to kill the woman.

Prosecutors said the pair had bought a knife the day before with the object of committing an armed robbery, Sankei reported.

The court heard that the victim had moved to Tokyo from Aomori Prefecture shortly before her murder to become a beautician. She was working nights at a restaurant to pay for her college tuition. She was attacked about 500 meters from JR Kichijoji Station just before 2 a.m. on Feb 28. She had just left a convenience store and was on her way home from work. Witnesses testified that they saw two young men follow her from the convenience store.

Police said that Yamada was stabbed twice in the back and her left wrist was also cut. She was taken to hospital, but died due to loss of blood. Her handbag was found empty about 200 meters away.

The Romanian was detained after a DNA test showed that blood found on one of his gloves matched Yamada’s. Police subsequently found Yamada's purse and bank book at the apartment where the Romanian's friend was staying.

© Japan Today