A MAN has been found guilty of murdering a woman in his room above a kebab shop then disposing of her body, a court has heard.
Azam Mangori, 24, killed "kind-hearted" Lorraine Cox, 32, then butchered her into seven pieces – hiding her remains in bins and woodland in Exeter.
Mangori then hacked into her social media and used her SIM card to pretend she was alive and well to family and friends.
Exeter Crown Court heard Mangori saw Lorraine as she was walking home alone in the early hours of September 1 last year.
Mangori, also known as Christopher Mayer, took her to his flat above a takeaway in Exeter and murdered her.
It’s thought she could have been suffocated as the T-shirt she had been wearing was found in her mouth.
He stored her remains in his flat above the kebab house for days then dismembered her and wrapped her in bin sacks.
Her friends and family grew suspicious of the messages they were receiving and reported her missing to the police.
CCTV, DNA evidence, phone records, internet searches and toxicology tests on Lorraine's remains proved he killed her.
Mangori pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted a charge of preventing Lorraine's lawful burial.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247
Following a four-week trial at Exeter Crown Court, Mangori, of no fixed address, was convicted of murder by a jury after six hours of deliberations.
He will be sentenced next week.
Following the conmvinctiom Lorraine's family spoke on the case for the first time.
They said: "We hope and pray that no other woman or family has to go through what our beautiful girl suffered, or that any other family suffers the brutal, distressing experience we have all been through.
"But, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of people across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and beyond for being by our side."
They added: "Sadly, we will never be able to see Lorraine alive again, but we couldn't have asked for more from the public and we shall be forever grateful for their continued help and support, both during and after this period.
"Nothing will ever repair the broken hearts the family suffer every day and will for the rest of our lives."
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