A Muslim who stabbed a pregnant Romanian prostitute to death after warning her not to work near a mosque was jailed for at least 29 years today.
Farooq Shah, 21, plunged a knife into Mariana Popa’s chest while riding his bicycle along a stretch of road notorious for sex workers.
Miss Popa, 24, had been in Britain for just three weeks and was trying to earn the money to support her family when she was stabbed in Ilford, Essex.
She staggered into Chicken & Pizza 4U in Ilford Lane and collapsed in a pool of blood as her killer rode away on his bike.
The mother-of-one was six weeks pregnant with her second child when she bled to death.
CCTV footage showed Shah waiting on the forecourt of a BP garage close to where prostitutes were working on Ilford Lane late on October 28.
Miss Popa could then be seen to walk towards him and speak to him before he stabbed her twice in the chest.
Prosecutors believe Shah was warning Miss Popa to leave the area – and she paid with her life when she refused.
Shah’s distinctive appearance exactly matched that of the killer – but he claimed he was the victim of mistaken identity.
He was found with another stolen mobile when he was arrested for the murder of Miss Popa.
