An 80-year-old grandmother was called a “f***ing bitch” in a “foul outburst” by her alleged murderer months before she was strangled with a lawnmower cord in a Colindale allotment shed, the Old Bailey heard today.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Lea Adri-Soejoko. Picture: Met PoliceLea Adri-Soejoko. Picture: Met Police (Image: Archant)

The body of Lea Adri-Soejoko – also well-known by her maiden name of Lea Hulselmans – was found by police with a flex around her neck in a locked shed in Sheaveshill Avenue on February 28, 2017.

Rahim Mohammadi, 42, of Goldsmith Road, Hackney, stands accused of murdering the widow at an Old Bailey retrial.

The elderly widow, who was secretary of the Colindale Allotments Association, had a run-in with Mohammadi at an allotment holders’ meeting in September 2016, jurors heard.

John Price QC, prosecuting, said Mohammadi was witnessed at the meeting standing up speaking at her “in a monologue” for three or four minutes before storming out.

The court heard Mohammadi called Ms Adri-Soejoko a “witch”, allegedly as a term of affection.

But Mr Price said: “When she refers [in an email] to the foul language you used that night it couldn’t just be the word ‘witch’.

“You called her a ‘f**king bitch’. That’s the foul language she couldn’t bring herself to repeat.”

The defendant said: “Never,” adding it was only afterwards when he read her email that he “realised what [he] said in that meeting was wrong”.

“We knew each other for a year,” he said. “I never meant it that way.”

Mr Price alleged Mohammadi was “a bully” towards her, which he denied.

Mrs Adri-Soejoko was reported missing by colleagues on February 28 when she failed to turn up to a meeting in Barnet.

Despite frantic calls by her daughter and granddaughter there was no answer on her mobile phone.

Police officers searched the allotment while the family continued to phone her. The sound of a mobile phone ringing led them to a small mower shed, padlocked shut.

When they forced open the door they found Mrs Adri-Soejoko’s lifeless body inside, covered with an old blue coat.

She was lying in a straight line with the plastic handle of a Mountfield lawnmower pressed against her neck and the starter cord used as a ligature and “wrapped tight against her neck”.

DNA evidence was found on the greasy part of the cord, belonging to Mohammadi.

The trial continues.