A "vile" lodger who stabbed a care worker to death in her home after she asked him to move out has been jailed.
Mohsen Saadi, 57, knifed care worker Peninah 'Penny' Kabeba 12 times before fleeing the address and leaving her to die.
Concerned neighbours alerted the police at 9.55pm on May 27 after a disturbance in the 42-year-old's home before Saadi left the property in Cheam, Sutton.
Saadi is reported to have been living at Penny's home for a short time prior to her murder.
Tensions between the pair allegedly escalated when he refused to move out.
After neighbours raised the alarm, police officers rushed to the scene and found Penny suffering from stab wounds which turned out to be fatal.
She was pronounced dead at the scene less than an hour later.
One of the neighbours who had called police kept Saadi in his vision and directed officers to him.
He was later arrested and then charged with Penny’s murder.
Mr Saadi, of no fixed address, appeared at Kingston Crown Court this morning (September 16) and was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 18 years, after being found guilty of her murder.
Jurors heard that Ms Kabeba, a Ugandan national known as Penny, had been residing at the two-bedroom property on Park Road since February 2019, which had been "without any significant problems".
However, it appeared that she occasionally struggled financially and in April 2021 had advertised the second bedroom as a rent-out.
The court heard that having recently separated from his second wife in late 2018 and spending a period of time being homeless, Saadi contacted Ms Kabeba and paid a deposit.
He moved into the property on April 19, however, the arrangement soured due to his "unhygienic and untidy behaviour".
Prosecution lawyer Mr Scamardella said: “She complained to friends that he was messy and dirty and that he stayed up late cooking, which disturbed her rather more peaceful living arrangements.
"She complained to one friend that she would have to clean up after him when he urinated on the bathroom floor.
“The situation deteriorated to the point that Ms Kabeba told her friends that she had asked Saadi to move out.
"She was studying at college and working four night shifts a week, at a home for people with learning disabilities."
Saadi’s response to being told to leave was to be louder and more disruptive late at night, refusing to move out, according to Ms Kabeba's firends.
Mr Scamardella added: "It seems that matters were coming to a head.”
On the evening of May 27, a group of friends had gathered in the neighbouring flat for a takeaway and drinks when they overheard a female screaming "help me" at 10pm.
The three men were immediately concerned and were joined by the upstairs neighbours, John and Lisa Abbott, to approach her window to see what was happening.
The prosecutor continued: “What they saw was shocking. Saadi was attacking Miss Kabeba, either by punching her head with his fist or by hitting her on the sink worktop area in the kitchen.
"From what the group saw, Miss Kabeba was trying to get away from Saadi and their banging on the window seemed to cause him to stop and as he did so, with her resistance broken and energy sapped, she collapsed on the kitchen floor.
"She was dying.”
Saadi then packed a bag of belongings, including his passport, and exited the building, the court was told.
The three men decided to follow him, whilst other neighbours went to Ms Kabeba’s aid, where the extent of her injuries became apparent.
Detective Sergeant Marc Gadd, from the homicide team who investigated Penny’s murder, added: "Saadi is a vile man who took Penny’s life in an act of senseless gratuitous violence.
"I know this has been an incredibly difficult time for Penny’s family and friends, but I hope the fact Saadi will now spend a significant amount of time in prison brings them some peace.
“I would like to commend Penny’s neighbours who came to her aid and greatly assisted the police by following her attacker which led to his arrest – their actions were crucial in enabling us to swiftly arrest him."
Have you got a story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
