A domestic abuser who strangled his former partner has been found guilty of murder.
A court heard that Alvin Gitahi, 44, had a history of punching 35-year-old Vivienne Baraka and grabbing her around the neck when he was drunk and in a rage.
Baraka died on 26 March, 2024, having let Gitahi into her home in Ealing, west London, after she had broken up with him.
Baraka’s mother received a desperate text from her daughter, urging her to call 999 because she was “in danger”.
However, by the time police officers arrived, Baraka was already dead on the bathroom floor.
Gitahi, the only other person at the flat, had a habit of attacking his partner when drunk, with a series of reports about his abusive behaviour being made to friends, family, and police.
But when Baraka’s body was found with bruising to her face and neck and burst blood vessels in her eyes, Gitahi denied having anything to do with her death.
At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, Gitahi was found guilty by a jury of murder, and he now faces life in prison.
In a statement, Baraka’s family said: “We are grateful that justice has prevailed. Vivienne was very community-orientated and helped a lot of people during her life.
“She was taken from us far too soon. She was a very much loved member of our family, and she is missed every day.
“Vivienne’s spirit lives on in her daughter. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us through this difficult time.”
Prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC told the trial that Baraka – known to friends and family as Viv – had told her mother and police officers about a pattern of violent attacks and threats by Gitahi.
“The relationship had been a tempestuous one and Viv had spoken to police in 2022 and 2023, telling them Alvin had become violent towards her when he was drunk and that violence included punching and strangling her, putting his hands on her throat, restricting her breathing, straddling her and saying: ‘I will finish you’,” she said.
Ms Newell told the court Baraka’s mother, Nancy, received a text message from her daughter on the afternoon of the day she died.
“It said she was in danger, she was in her house. It was a message asking Nancy to call 999, and that was particularly chilling as it suggested that Viv felt unable to be seen or heard making a call to the police herself and needed somebody else to do it.”
A 999 call was made by Nancy at 3.14pm and when police officers arrived at Ms Baraka’s property 20 minutes later they were eventually let in by Gitahi.
“On entering, Viv could clearly be seen through the open door of the bathroom, collapsed on the floor and unresponsive,” said Ms Newell.
The court heard Ms Baraka had told her mother about a pattern of abuse by Gitahi, but said she feared calling the police or trying to leave him because he “would kill her”.
The prosecutor said Ms Baraka spoke to police in January 2022 when she was found by officers “cowering” inside her bathroom.
She said Gitahi “had a history of violent conduct towards her”, the court heard, and she recounted being punched in the face the previous December when she said Gitahi also bit her finger and strangled her.
Jurors heard Ms Baraka told officers about Gitahi putting his hands around her throat and applying pressure “at random times”, particularly when he had been drinking.
Ms Newell said Ms Baraka said she had managed to retreat to the bathroom in the January 2022 incident, when she believed Gitahi was about to throttle her, and he had then removed the door handle to prevent her from leaving.
In August 2022, Ms Baraka told her mother that she had been punched in the eye, and in April 2023 her mother overheard an argument between her daughter and Gitahi when she was “begging him not to strangle her”.
Ms Newell said police were called and they found a “tearful” Ms Baraka saying again that Gitahi had “strangled her”.
“Viv told the attending police officer in April 2023 that Alvin threatened her and she was scared of what he could do to her.”
When accused of murder, Gitahi accused Ms Baraka – without evidence – of heavy drinking and drug use.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Denby, who led the murder investigation, said: “This is a devastating case where a young woman has been subject to ongoing violence in her own home, culminating in her tragic death.
“While no outcome can undo this loss, we hope today’s conviction brings her family and friends some measure of closure and reassurance that Gitahi has been held accountable for his actions.”
Gitahi has been remanded in custody until sentencing in October.
