Labourer who stripped grandmother naked and beat her to death also raped her

11 March 2024 , 13:25

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Valentin Lazar followed Maria Rawlings from the bus (Image: PA)

A labourer who stripped a grandmother naked before battering her to death with a wooden club embedded with nails has today admitted raping her.

Two years ago Valentin Lazar was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years and six months after he admitted murdering Maria Rawlings, but today he has returned to the Old Bailey and admitted to also raping the 45-year-old. Lazar, 23, battered and strangled Ms Rawlings after following her from the EL3 double-decker bus in Romford, east London, late on May 3, 2021.

CCTV captured Lazar exiting the bus with the mother-of-two, before guiding her towards some bushes. A dog walker discovered Ms Rawlings' naked body the following day. A post-mortem revealed she had been killed following compression to her neck. She had also suffered injuries to her mouth, chest, and knee as well as 15 fractured ribs.

Police found her purse, footwear and bank cards, nearby. Lazar, who came to the UK from Romania when he was 18, was filmed initially talking to Ms Rawlings after they got off the bus, before grabbing hold of her arm and leading her into the bushes. He emerged from the bushes 31 minutes later, briefly going back in to retrieve the victim's handbag.

Maria Rawlings was murdered (PA)

She was stripped and beaten (PA)

The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft said: "He is serving a life sentence for murder. He has now pleaded guilty to rape count and he now needs to be sentenced also for that offence. That sentencing will happen at this court on March 20."

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Mrs Rawlings' daughter Charlee earlier said in a victim impact statement: "I do not think I actually know where to start to explain the impact my mum's murder has had on me. My mum was my best friend. I am 17 years old and lived with my mum. We were best friends, we talked about everything, we shared everything in our lives."

Lazar is serving a life sentence (PA)

Sentencing the Romanian for the murder two years ago, Judge Lucraft described it as a 'savage and sustained attack' with a 'high degree of pain and suffering. "In my view, it was with the intention to kill. Maria Rawlings was naked, and that is additional humiliation and degradation."

Kelly-Ann Mills