Tejaswini Kontham: Man sentenced after stabbing flatmate to death in Wembley
A man has been given a hospital order after stabbing his 27-year-old flatmate to death in Wembley.
Tejaswini Kontham was knifed to death on June 13 last year, in an attack in which another woman, aged 28, was also stabbed.
Keven Antonio Lourenco De Morais, 24, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday where he was sentenced to a hospital order after admitting to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Police and paramedics were called to a flat in Neeld Crescent in Wembley shortly before 10am on June 13 last year, to reports of a stabbing.
They found Ms Kontham and another woman, aged 28, suffering from knife injuries.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, Ms Kontham died at the scene.
The second woman was taken to hospital with stab injuries that were later assessed as not life-threatening.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of Ms Kontham’s death to have been stab wound to the chest.
The Master’s graduate had been due to return home to India to get married, when she was killed.
Her father told a local TV channel in the family’s home city of Hyderabad, India, at the time that Ms Kontham had moved to London three years previously to study for her master’s degree at the University of Greenwich.
Lourenco De Morais, who lived in the flatshare with Ms Kontham, was charged with her murder and with the attempted murder of the second woman.He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on April 22, where he pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. His plea was accepted by the court.
He had also previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder of the second victim.
On Thursday, he was sentenced to a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and a restriction order under section 41.
Shiva Namashivaya, on behalf of Ms Kontham’s family, said: “The senseless and sudden way in which Teju [Ms Kontham] was taken from us compounds our grief. Her death is such a huge loss for our family and we all miss her dearly.”
Detective Inspector Louise Caveen, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: "This entire incident has been devastating for all concerned.
“One young woman lost her life and another woman will likely never recover from the emotional scars, even when the physical ones have faded.
“It is right that Lourenco De Morais will now receive treatment, however nothing will bring Tejaswini back to her family. Our thoughts remain with them.”
Two other people arrested in connection with this investigation were released with no further action.
