Neculai Paizan, 64, of Peel Street, W8, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 22 years in prison for the murder of Agnes Akom on Monday, July 25 at the Old Bailey.
On Tuesday, July 19, he was found guilty in the same court.
HHJ Marks praised the ‘outstanding police team’ during the sentencing, saying, “This is police work of the highest order, and we are proud and owe a debt of gratitude to the team.
Our thoughts remain with Agnes’ family and friends, who have not only suffered from her loss, but have also had to endure hearing the details of her murder during this trial,” Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said.
The level of violence used by Paizan in his attack on Agnes was truly horrifying.” What she went through inside the container is unbearable to contemplate. While it is unclear why he killed her that day, his subsequent attempts to conceal his crime show a calculated effort to ensure that not only was Agnes never found, but that he would not be caught.
Our phone data-driven inquiries quickly led us to identify Paizan as someone who had regular contact with Agnes.” His actions made him a suspect, and the subsequent investigation led to his arrest.
During his testimony at the Old Bailey, Paizan concocted several stories in an attempt to cast Agnes in a negative light.” Our investigation and what we know about Agnes indicate that, while she was vulnerable, he clearly lied about her background and personal situation in order to persuade the jury.
“He most likely preyed on her vulnerabilities to abuse her, eventually leading to her murder.”
Agnes, 20, also known as ‘Dora,’ was reported missing to police on May 11, 2021. She had left her home in the Cricklewood Broadway neighbourhood two days before and had not been heard from since.
Officers launched a missing person investigation and issued several requests for information in an attempt to locate her, but she did not respond and no one reported seeing her.
Due to growing concerns for Agnes’ safety, the investigation was turned over to detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, who specialise in cases like this.
Officers were able to establish that Agnes had entered a vehicle on Cricklewood Broadway on May 9, 2021, which was quickly identified as belonging to the defendant. Police then tracked this vehicle to a makeshift residence inside a large shipping container on North Acton Road in Brent.
An extensive review of her phone records and call data revealed that Agnes’ phone was frequently in the vicinity of Paizan’s phone over a 12-month period.
Officers paid a visit to the shipping container on May 18, 2021, to speak with Paizan. Several heavy duty padlocks had been used to secure a door at the end of the container upon arrival. The London Fire Brigade was called and quickly gained access to the container. There was no one inside. However, the defendant arrived on the scene believing that his container was on fire. He admitted to knowing Agnes and initially claimed to have met with her about two weeks prior.
He was taken to Wembley Police Station to provide a witness statement, while other officers reviewed CCTV footage of the industrial estate to corroborate his story. Paizan stated in an interview that he took Agnes to his container on 9 May 2021, where after a brief stay, he dropped her off at a nearby cashpoint machine, after which he had not seen or heard from her.
While the CCTV footage showed Paizan and Agnes entering the container on May 9, 2021, it did not show her leaving at any point after that date.
Paizan was arrested on suspicion of murder and false imprisonment due to inconsistencies in his statement when compared to the visual evidence.
Detectives continued to examine CCTV footage, gradually piecing together Paizan’s movements in the days following Agnes’ disappearance. He was seen carrying several items from the container to his car before going to a skip and the Neasden Recreation Ground.
Officers discovered Agnes’ coat inside the skip. At the same time, a thorough forensic examination of the container revealed blood that matched Agnes’ DNA. Other bloodstains were later discovered in Paizan’s vehicle.
Officers concluded that Agnes had suffered serious harm based on all of the facts. Paizan maintained his denial despite evidence contradicting his statements. He was charged with murder on May 23, 2021.
However, Agnes’ body had yet to be discovered. Every piece of evidence pointed to Paizan taking her to the area surrounding the recreation ground.
Officers using specialist dogs continued their search, and two police dogs gave an indication at a fallen tree on 14 June 2021, 36 days after she was last seen. Officers discovered human remains, later identified as Agnes, hidden beneath a pile of logs and branches.
Agnes had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, having been struck at least 20 times, according to the post-mortem examination.
The work of my team in reviewing hours of CCTV footage, as well as that of our forensic colleagues in examining the crime scene – which Paizan had attempted to clean – was critical in determining what happened to Agnes,” DCI John added. We were able to charge him with murder before we found Agnes because the evidence was so strong.”
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