UK psychiatric nurse jailed for murdering Guyanese woman

The UK male psychiatric nurse, who burnt a Guyanese woman to death, has been jailed for life after admitting to the murder, according to the BBC.

According to the report Aiah Tondoneh, 44, from north London, had pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering partner Donna Drepaul, 50.

Donna Drepaul
Donna Drepaul

Police officers had found Drepaul suffering severe burns at her home on 2nd July 2010.

Tondoneh, who was sentenced on Monday, was told that he must serve a minimum term of 21 years and six months.

Drepaul, a senior oncology nurse at University College Hospital, was taken to the Royal London Hospital, where she died two days later.

The BBC said she was so badly disfigured that horrified neighbours did not recognise her as she went knocking on the doors of their flats begging for help. Police found her suffering severe burns at her north London home

Aiah Tondoneh
Aiah Tondoneh

She had appeared to have lost her lips, nose and hair and suffered burns to her face and upper body, with skin peeling from her torso.

A police officer who went to the scene said: “I have never seen anything like this before in my life and for a split second, a feeling of numbness overcame me.”

Philip Bennetts QC, prosecuting, said: “The police say she was almost zombie-like as she moved towards them holding her arms out saying ‘help me, help me’.”

The court heard that she said “my partner poured gasoline on me and set me on fire” as she struggled to breathe.

Tondoneh plotted the attack after realising that Drepaul, who had tried to end the relationship, had been out that night with another man.

The judge, Mr Justice Nicol, said: “The injuries to Donna were the stuff of horror movies for the neighbours and emergency services which dealt with her.”

Meanwhile, Tondoneh took a night bus home and was arrested soon after.