An illegal migrant from Iraq was convicted of murdering and dismembering a 32-year-old woman in England, local media reported. The 24-year-old told the court that he didn’t go to authorities after Lorraine Cox, 32, died in his apartment, because his asylum claim was rejected and he feared he would be deported.
The coroner was unable to establish the cause of the woman’s death as a lot of time had passed before her remains were found. Police suspect she was smothered with a T-shirt.
'Hey Papa, I'm sorry. I'm in Plymouth'
Prosecutors said the perpetrator met inebriated Lorraine Cox in an alley and persuaded her to go to his flat. Azam Mangori told the court that the woman died suddenly after the two drank and had sex. He said he waited for several days after Lorraine died and then decided to dismember her body, because it started to decompose.
Prosecutor Simon Laws called Mangori a "fluent and determined liar" and described dismemberment of the body as "neat and professional amputation of" Ms Cox’s limbs. After he disposed of the body and the victim’s clothing he hacked into Lorraine’s phone and social media to pretend she was alive.
"Hey Papa, I'm sorry. I'm in Plymouth. Please forgive me," read one message sent by Mangori to the victim's father.
"I love you Papa. Changing my number. I will text to you my new number," read the other.
The court heard the man deliberately mimicked the victim’s use of words to make messages seem genuine. However, her friends soon recognised the person claiming to be Lorraine in messages was not her and called the police.
Family of Lorraine Cox said the trial had been "mentally and emotionally exhausting" and voiced the hope that “no other woman or family has to go through what [their daughter suffered]". They described Lorraine as "the heartbeat" of the family and said she was "the kindest-hearted, most loving, generous girl".
UK right-wing politician Nigel Farage claimed the murder of Lorraine Cox received minimal media coverage from mainstream media compared with other high-profile killings. Farage contended that it has to do with the fact that Mangori is a failed asylum seeker, who was previously detained by authorities. There are reports the Iraqi Kurd got into the UK after passing through Turkey, Greece, Germany and France.
He will be sentenced on 7 April.
