A playboy Palm Beach property developer – who rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous in Florida’s most exclusive neighbourhood - faces a suntan-fading life sentence for the brutal torture-murder of a stubborn tenant.
Flash Thanos Papalexis, 37, was convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering 57 year-old Charalambos Christodoulides in March 2000 who was beaten and strangled in the North London warehouse he called home.
Described in court as a "classic psycho" Papalexis – allegedly aided by two Albanian henchmen - tortured and killed loner Christodoulides for refusing to leave a flat in a building he wanted to sell.
The caretaker was attacked before being tied to a chair, hooded, beaten further and finally strangled.
His body was found 15 days later hidden in a pit at the warehouse complex.
Londoner Papalexis (pictured) – the son of a wealthy Greek shipping tycoon - wanted to sell the Kilburn site to help raise cash to save his ailing property development business.
Although the £2m deal to sell the warehouse had collapsed Papalexis pocketed a £750,000 VAT rebate before creditors could get it and moved to Palm Beach.
In the US he reinvented himself and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle as an entrepreneur and playboy.
He rubbed shoulders with the social elite and last year even hosted former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton at a fund-raising gala for her presidential campaign.
He equipped his office with gold thrones, drove a Bentley convertible, wore Saville Row suits and rented a £1.8million beachfront mansion.
He threw parties, including one at which Paris Hilton and designer Valentino were guests.
Papalexis had a string of lovers, including blonde prostitute Rebecca DeFalco, 40, - who starred in hardcore sex films – and to whom he confessed killing Christodoulides.
He forked out thousands of pounds for orgies with hookers, bought boob jobs for four girlfriends and admitted in court that he enjoyed group sex.
He was extradited to Britain after his DNA was found on items at the London warehouse and will be sentenced on September 30.
Detective Inspector Brent Hyatt said: "Charalambos Christodoulides was a quiet and reserved man of impeccable character who Papalexis thought stood in the way of a property deal.
“We believe that this is why he was killed and throughout this 14-week trial, Papalexis has proved to be an enormously arrogant, compulsive and practiced liar driven by his desire to make money.
"In the nine years that it has taken to bring Papalexis to justice, all avenues of evidence have been fully explored to ensure that the best possible evidence can be put before the court.
"I hope this verdict goes someway to achieving justice for Charalambos and closure for his family.
“Despite their pain, they have patiently and wholeheartedly supported this investigation, behaving with great dignity throughout. I thank them for the support they have given me and the officers involved in this investigation.
"This investigation should also serve to remind those that commit murder in London that they should not rest easy. The MPS will relentlessly pursue them until they are placed before the courts to answer for their crimes. "
Homeless Ylli Xhelo, 36, and painter Robert Baxhija, 29, of Sidney Avenue, Palmers Green, North London, face a retrial.
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