SHERRARD ROAD, Manor Park, was the scene of a vicious attack last August as Emil Asparuhov Hristov, 40, murdered his 29 year old housemate, Dimitar Petrov, who died at the scene from multiple stab wounds.
Hristov was convicted at the Old Bailey on 21st March, after a two week trial. He returned to the Court on 23rd March, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 21 years. The Court was told that Petrov had 18 stab wounds – four of which went through his heart.
Hristov admitted killing Petrov, but claimed that he had acted in self defence after Petrov had attacked him. He did have some minor injuries on his arms and legs and was taken to hospital for treatment. However, he was discharged in less than an hour and a pathologist told the Court that the wounds appeared to have been self inflicted.
There were other factors which weakened Hristov’s defence. The Court heard that Hristov had placed the knife he had used to kill Petrov in Petrov’s hand – and then left the property without calling for medical assistance for his dying housemate.
The Court was also told that Hristov thought he was alone in the flat when the killing happened – but one of his other five housemates was in. The housemate heard a scream and came downstairs – to find Hristov washing blood off a knife.
Detective Inspector Rita Tierney led the investigation. She said, “Hristov maintained his self-defence story in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. His injuries were said to have been self-inflicted and he callously placed the murder weapon in the victim’s hand on his way out of the house making no attempt to raise medical help. I hope today’s conviction goes some small way to helping the family move on from what has been a traumatic period in their life.”
Petrov’s mother said in a statement, “The loss of a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. There is nothing worse than that. My son’s life was taken within a second and this second shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. My son had dreams he will never achieve. My sorrow is huge and endless, it will be with me forever. My favourite son, the son I love so much is gone. I will never see his smile again, the smile that didn’t leave his face, the kindness and warmth he had in him. I love you my son, I miss you every day and every hour. Can you hear me, I love you. I love you my love. We will meet at a better place.”
•Read more about this story: Murder in Manor Park
•Read more crime stories: Pizza shop robbed at knifepoint Poplar man guilty of Island knife attack
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