Posted February 27, 2023 by: Admin #News

A 42-year-old Lidl worker, Serkan Kaygusuz, has been sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison for the murder of 70-year-old Norma Girolami, who he met at a swimming pool in Archway, north London, in 2017.

Kaygusuz, who befriended Girolami over a period of three years, siphoned £284,000 from her before killing her. Following her murder, he buried her body in a churchyard in Friern Barnet where it remained hidden for 15 months.

Kaygusuz admitted to hiding her body and spending her money, but denied killing her. He was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey after a jury deliberated for just 19 minutes. Kaygusuz declined to give evidence in his trial.

Kaygusuz was described as arrogant and vain and made increasing demands for cash from Girolami after their sexual relationship was short-lived. The defendant had plotted to take what remained of Girolami’s assets by killing her after she refused to part with more money. Kaygusuz had already admitted perverting the course of justice, theft of the victim’s jewelry, draining her bank account, and fraudulently applying for £60,000 in loans in her name.

The court heard that Kaygusuz spent money on a luxury lifestyle well beyond his means. He had a £20,000 car, bought designer clothes, a new games console, and went on a trip to Turkey for a hair transplant while hoarding around £120,000 in the bank. Before carrying out the murder, he made a series of “sinister searches” online for garden tools, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, “deed for property transfer” and “will and testament”.

He also bought rope, handcuffs, gloves, plastic overalls, tape, and a spading fork tool on Amazon. Prosecutors told jurors that these items were acquired by the defendant to restrain and kill Norma Girolami, conceal her remains by burying them, and ensure he did not get dirty and acquire any forensic traces in the process.

Kaygusuz’s defense attorney, Paul Mendelle, KC, admitted that his client’s actions were despicable. Kaygusuz had stolen from Girolami, taken her documents, told lies to her friends, defrauded banks, and lied to police. However, Mendelle argued that Kaygusuz did not murder Girolami, only after burying her body was his behavior dishonest, deceptive, and indefensible.

In his ruling, Judge Philip Katz KC sentenced Kaygusuz to life imprisonment and a minimum term of 35 years. The judge criticized Kaygusuz’s “utterly selfish” and “motivated by greed” actions, calling them a “premeditated, planned, and cruel murder.” He added that the defendant’s sexual advance to Girolami in a hot tub when they first met was “deliberate and sleazy rather than accidental.” The judge also criticized Kaygusuz for his “callous disrespect” for his victim and her loved ones, which demonstrated a complete absence of remorse.

In a victim impact statement, Girolami’s cousin, Pia Graham, described Kaygusuz as a “cold-blooded killer” who had “taken away something beautiful from the world, a unique, benevolent, kind, and lovely person.” Graham went on to say that Kaygusuz had cruelly betrayed Girolami’s love and trust, taken advantage of her generosity, and systematically stripped her of everything she had.