A spice drug user who murdered a “defenceless” woman in her east London flat was today jailed.
Ian Kerr, 36, of no fixed address, “brutally attacked” 50-year-old Linda McArity before leaving her to die.
The Old Bailey heard police visited Ms McArity’s home in Hobday Street, Poplar, after her sister was unable to contact her on December 30 last year.
Officers found the victim unresponsive and she was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem found she died of “compression to the neck”.
Detectives discovered Kerr had stayed intermittently at her home.
They also found that after the death, he used Ms McArity’s bank card at a post office in Roman Road, withdrawing £360 in two separate transactions.
He was arrested in January and initially admitted fraud, but denied taking part in any killing. He later pleaded guilty to murder.
Kerr told police he had taken the synthetic drug spice on the day he attacked Ms McArity.
He feared she would tell his girlfriend about his drug use and that it might prevent him seeing his young daughter.
He was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday to a minimum of 17 years for murder and eight months for two counts of fraud. The fraud counts will be served as part of the murder sentencing.
Det Ch Insp Dave Whellams said: “Linda was a vulnerable woman who had allowed Kerr to lodge at her address on and off out of the goodness of her heart.
“She was defenceless and Kerr’s attack was ferocious, she stood little chance against Kerr’s violent outburst.
“She leaves behind a devastated family, including a sister she was very close with, who are still coming to terms with what happened.”
