Man jailed for killing woman who gave him shelter

A homeless man has been jailed for life after he bludgeoned a "trusting and generous" woman to death with a mallet two days after she invited him into her home.

Victoria Adams, 37, was found dead at her flat in Hammersmith, west London, on 9 February after police were called to a report of a man attempting to break in.

Homeless Apapale Adoum, 39, previously pleaded guilty to her murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on Thursday.

Old Bailey Judge Nigel Lickley said Adoum had "betrayed the kindness and good nature of Victoria Adams" after she offered him somewhere to stay and had subjected her to a "brutal and savage" attack when she asked him to leave.

In a victim impact statement Ms Adams's aunt Cathy Adams said: "Vicky was very trusting, generous to a fault, caring and fun-loving.

"Vicky tried to repay the kindness she had been shown by others and she paid for this with her life."

Her younger sister Sophie Luff said she was in "complete shock" that Ms Adams was "murdered in her own home by a man she barely knew, a man she was only trying to help".

The court heard Adoum had met mother-of-four Ms Adams on 6 February at a homeless shelter but attacked her with a mallet with severe force two days later.

Prosecutor John Price KC said the defendant had a history of violence and was carrying two knives and a screwdriver when he was arrested at the scene.

He said Ms Adams had been trying to help him and also thought Adoum would offer her some protection from local drug dealers who were threatening her.

"She came to regret it, probably because he is by nature violently unpredictable and she may well have become frightened of him," said Mr Price.

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