Homeless Man Admits Murdering Woman Who Took Him In

Victoria Adams was found dead in her £1.3m Hammersmith home after taking in homeless Apapale Adoum, who has now admitted her brutal murder.

A homeless man who murdered a woman days after she let him stay at her £1.3 million flat in west London has admitted the killing.

Adoum had met her just three days earlier on February 6 when he was living in a homeless shelter.

She had invited him to stay with her but later wrote a note asking him to leave.

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Victoria Adams, 36, was found dead at her home in Coulter Road, Hammersmith, on 9 February. Police were called after reports of a man trying to break into the property and discovered her body face down in a bedroom.

She had a black bin bag over her head, covered by a pillow, and had suffered at least 10 blows to the back and side of her head. A mallet found inside the flat was later shown to contain both her blood and the DNA of her killer.

Apapale Adoum, 39, was arrested at the scene. He had met Ms Adams just three days earlier, on 6 February, while living in a homeless shelter. She invited him to stay, but later wrote him a note asking him to leave.

Adoum was initially jailed for 42 weeks after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing offensive weapons. He was re-arrested on 5 June when detectives linked him to Ms Adams’s death and charged him with murder.

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Appearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Adoum pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody. He will be sentenced on 24 October.

Judge Nigel Lickley KC told him: “The sentence for murder is a life sentence, and that is what I will pass.”

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Denby, who led the investigation, said:

“It is a tragedy that Victoria was killed after showing kindness and offering Adoum a place to stay. She deserved better. I hope his guilty plea gives some small comfort to her family and friends.”