A man who killed his former girlfriend in a brutal knife attack in South Ealing has been jailed for 29 years at Kingston Crown Court.
Anna Jedrkowiak died after being found with multiple stab injuries in Roberts Alley, off Church Gardens on 17 May last year.
The 21-year-old, who was known to friends and family as Ania, had finished work at a restaurant in Ealing and was walking home with a friend when she was victim to the premeditated attack by her former boyfriend Dennis Akpomedaye.
Akpomedaye was found guilty of her murder on Thursday, 25 May. HHJ Shetty passed a life sentence with a minimum term of 29 years, minus term on remand.
He was arrested within 22 hours of her murder as a result of fast-time CCTV enquiries which tracked his movements, leading to the recovery of evidence and DNA.
The investigation was led by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, and a combination of CCTV assessment and urgent enquires at the scene and surrounding areas to piece together his movements post-attack, resulted in officers being sent to Victoria coach station to locate and arrest him.
After his arrest, the further investigation also brought to light the obsessive nature of Akpomedaye’s actions and revealed a man who was in debt, without a job and unable to accept the end of a relationship.
In a touching statement, Anna’s family paid tribute to her by saying: “Ania was such a kind, gentle soul: she would never hurt anyone or be mean in any way.
“She was thoughtful and loving, and everyone who met her fell in love with her. She was brilliantly gifted, especially in music and art, but also so determined and hardworking – she would have gone on to succeed in anything she did.
“She was very smart, tenacious and ambitious, but also very humble.
“She was destined for great things.”
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, the senior investigating officer, said: “Anna’s life was taken by someone who is cowardly but extremely dangerous.
“Anna was scared of him and attempted to end the relationship. When she did this, he said to her “We will be together no matter what … I will find you”.
“She had moved away to start what should have been an exciting new life in London but now will never be able to fulfil that promise, and her family will never see her again.
“It was moving that so many of her family, university and work friends attended a vigil in her honour during the trial.
“My thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Anna, both in the UK and in Poland, who will never get over the tragic circumstances surrounding her death.
“Even in the context of a murder investigation, the ferocity with which she was attacked was extreme, and this individual belongs in prison where he cannot harm another woman.”
