Stonebridge man found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend in Cricklewood

Ezekiel Foster stabbed Sashana Roberts at least 11 times in front of her children

A former church deacon who knifed his lover to death and dumped her body in the bath has been found guilty of her murder.

The Old Bailey heard Ezekiel Foster, 43, of Tywbridge Way, stabbed 24-year-old Sashana Roberts at least 11 times with a kitchen knife in front of her terrified children before leaving her for dead in her home in Ivy Road, Cricklewood.

He then changed his clothes and left the scene, casually chatting with strangers in the street and topping up his Oyster card as he went.

Jamaican-born Foster had repeatedly beaten and threatened to kill Miss Roberts throughout their five-year relationship and had a history of violence towards previous partners.

He admitted manslaughter, claiming he had been ordered to carry out the killing by a voice in his head called Joseph, but today (Friday) was convicted of murder following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey.

Foster had been ‘aggressively controlling’ partner since he struck up a relationship with Miss Roberts, who performed on the dancehall reggae scene under the name Shanna Pepper, in 2006.

Miss Roberts had previously reported Foster - known to friends as ‘Glen’ - to the police on several occasions but retracted the complaints every time.

Foster, a builder and former church deacon at Harlesden Pentecostal Church was overheard threatening to kill her at a party just two weeks before she died.

Miss Roberts, who was also from Jamaica, was stabbed in the head, face, body, legs and arms, with wounds penetrating both lungs, her liver and spleen. Some were inflicted with such force that they cracked her ribs.

Foster will be sentenced this afternoon.