Daniel Briceno Garcia, 46 previously of Dorset Road, SW8, was previously convicted at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 18 May, of murdering Sonia Butron Calvi and Edgar Aguilera Daza.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 33 years, at the same court on Friday, 27 May.
Their daughter, Laura Aguilera, said the murders had left the family ‘crushed and heartbroken’ – she said:
“They were not only wonderful parents, grandparents and friends but also excellent church advisors and mentors. Many people at church looked up to them because they were a humble, caring and stable couple. Sonia’s warm reassurance and Edgar’s infectious humour would make everyone feel better in times of struggle and hurt.
“This is why I find it so difficult to accept the way their life was taken in such a cruel way, how they were stripped away from us. The realisation that there will be no more interacting with them has emotionally depressed us as a family to the point where grief and pain overwhelm acceptance of their absence. It breaks our hearts to see innocent lives die unjustly.
“They leave behind a family who has suffered waves of painful solitude as a result of their absence which has immersed our family in a dark curtain of demoralising days for the past two years. The obvious nature of attempting to continue on with life with drive consistently fades as their parting overpowers our mental well-being on a regular basis.
“Seeing this man here with such calm and serenity, not realising the amount and extent of the damage he has done to the entire Bolivian community in London has left us crushed and heartbroken. My parents were also brothers/sisters, uncles, cousins, in laws and above all the sweetest grandparents; they had an enormous amount of love and affection for their grandchildren. It aches now that they can’t hold them, kiss them, care for them or to protect them.”
Police were called at around 4pm on 1 April 2020 to reports of a disturbance at a residential property on Dorset Road, SW8.
Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service. They found Sonia, aged 66, and Edgar, aged 60, who had both suffered stab injuries. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the pair were pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command began a murder investigation and Garcia was arrested and taken into custody.
Garcia shared the house with five other people, including Sonia and Edgar, who owned the property and rented out several rooms.
Officers carried out a forensic examination of the crime scene and spoke to the other occupants about what they had heard.
One of the residents told officers they had seen Garcia attack the couple in the hallway leading to the front door of the property.
They also said Garcia had recently become ‘obsessed with Covid’ and was concerned about what impact the lockdown would have on him.
When officers arrived, Garcia opened the door and had blood over his hands. He told officers he was ‘sorry’ and was arrested.
Detective Inspector Karen Bangs, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “This was a dreadful and seemingly unprovoked attack on two innocent people who gave Garcia a place to live. My thoughts remain with their family and friends who continue to come to terms with their loss.”
