Cricklewood man ‘murdered lesbian flatmate in bungled burglary’
Imelda Molina was stabbed at her home in Ashford Court, Cricklewood - Credit: Archant
A steelworker stabbed his lesbian flatmate to death at their Cricklewood home in a bungled bid to steal her partner’s savings, a court heard.
Michael Purcell, 53, of Ashford Court in Ashford Road, allegedly knifed Imelda Molina repeatedly after grabbing a rucksack containing £1,000 belonging to Amalia Valdez.
The Old Bailey heard the victim had moved to the UK from the Philippines in 2013 and had been working as a housekeeper.
Ms Molina was found by Ms Valdez naked from the waist down lying across their bed covered in blood at their home on October 28 last year.
She had suffered multiple stab wounds to her torso, her groin and between her legs, had a black belt looped around her arm and a further knife wounds to her shoulders and arm pit.
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Police and paramedics were called to the multi-occupancy home to find Purcell’s door was locked, but when the forced the handle they heard keys falling to the floor from the inside.
They found him soaked in blood, with a 10cm gash to his neck.
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Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said: “He told officers that he had cut his own throat with a yellow handled Stanley knife and indicated that it was beside the bedside table.
“When questioned he said ‘I killed the woman next door, I just want to die.”
A second, large, black-handled kitchen knife with a 20cm blade was found in the
During a subsequent police interview Purcell told officers he heard voices telling him to ‘do away’ with himself, and that the voices got worse when he was drinking.
But an initial psychiatric assessment found that he was not confused, psychotic or disturbed in any way, and that he didn’t have any ‘Odd, unusual or persecutory ideas’.
Purcell denies murder and burglary.
The trial continues.
