Car Thief Murdered Israeli Woman

A Romanian murderer is facing life imprisonment after admitting stabbing an Israeli woman to death and driving away in her car.

Nicolae Patraucean, 20, of Chichester Court, Stanmore killed 55 year-old Rivka Holden at her flat in Falcon Way, Colindale on March 16.

A police car was flagged down at 12.20pm and officers alerted to a seriously injured woman at her home address.

An ambulance rushed to the scene, but Ms Holden was pronounce dead at the scene.

Arrangements were made for the body of Ms Holden, a regular attendee at Kingsbury Synagogue, to be returned to her native Israel for burial.

A murder investigation was launched under Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall of the Homicide & Major Crime Command.



The victim’s red Hyundai i20, registration RE62 AEA, which had been stolen during the incident, was later found in the Kingsbury area.



Detectives traced Patraucean and he was charged the next day with the murder of Ms Holden.



Patraucean is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, July 25.