Life for Life: Kasim Lewis Gets 40 Years for North London Murder
Double Killer Locked Up for Stabbing Catherine Burke
A cold-blooded killer has been jailed for life at the Old Bailey today, Thursday 18 July. Kasim Lewis, 32, received a life sentence with a minimum term of forty years for murdering Catherine Burke in her own home in north London back in 2017.
Lewis pleaded guilty just days earlier, on Monday 15 July, after stabbing Catherine, 55, at her house in Hill Road, Haringey, on the night of Wednesday 15 November.
Already Serving for Another Murder
Lewis is no stranger to a prison cell. He’s currently locked up with a 29-year minimum sentence for killing Iuliana Tudos just six weeks after Catherine’s death. He pleaded guilty to that murder last May.
The judge ruled the sentences will run concurrently, meaning Lewis won’t see parole until he’s at least 72 years old—decades behind bars for two brutal killings.
Chilling Crime Scene and Hunt for Justice
- Police were called to Catherine’s house just after 7pm on 16 November 2017 after friends and neighbours grew concerned at her silence.
- Catherine was a popular figure locally, known for her daily dog walks with friends.
- Friends tried ringing her phone and banging on the door, but no answer—and her dog was heard crying by neighbours.
- One neighbour even climbed a ladder to check her window, seeing her unmade bed and fearing the worst before police were called.
- Catherine’s body was discovered in a back bedroom, with Lewis trying to hide the murder by piling clothes over her.
Forensic Evidence Locks Lewis In
Following the murder, Lewis was arrested on 1 January 2018—initially for Iuliana’s killing and soon after for Catherine’s. A breakthrough came in May 2018 when police searched a friend of Lewis’s home and found Catherine’s stolen mobile phone and a Kindle belonging to her son, proving Lewis’s link to the crime.
Forensic tests on a pair of Lewis’s trousers showed DNA nearly impossible to belong to anyone else. Lewis refused to answer police questions about Catherine’s murder but admitted to killing Iuliana when first arrested.
Detectives believe both murders were sexually motivated due to the nature of the brutal attacks, though no sexual assault was proven.
Families Shattered, Justice Served
Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said:
“We still do not know why Lewis committed these horrific murders. He has never given any indication of his motives. These appalling crimes have left two families devastated. We hope today’s verdict brings some closure.”
Catherine was a beloved member of her community, and the violent scene inside her home shocked all who knew her.
A Son’s Heartbreaking Tribute
Niall Galbally, Catherine’s 22-year-old son, shared a gut-wrenching victim impact statement:
“The 16th November 2017 shattered my world. I was away at university when a neighbour called to tell me police were at my mum’s house. I never expected such horror to hit my own family. Nothing prepares you for your mother being murdered.
“Our relationship was finally growing, and we had so much left to do. This man robbed me of that. No sentence can fill this hole in my heart, but I take some comfort knowing he’s behind bars. This marks the end of a nightmare but the start of healing.”
