Crack addict, 21, who strangled his brother’s NHS health worker girlfriend, 26, then raided her bank for just £50 to feed habit is jailed for life for murder
- Mustapha Dia strangled Lala Kamara after demanding her banking app password
- The 21-year-old then her body in her bedroom and took £50 from bank account
- Manchester Crown Court heard Dia had fallen out with his brother over drug use
- But he reluctantly let Dia move back into house in Denton, Greater Manchester
A Senegalese junkie who murdered his estranged brother’s girlfriend so he could plunder her bank account to buy crack cocaine has been jailed for life.
Mustapha Dia put a knife to the face of NHS healthcare assistant Lala Kamara then strangled her as he forced her to reveal the password to her online banking account.
Dia, 21, then left her body in her bedroom for up to 24 hours, transferred £50 from her account and used her bank card to buy burgers at a McDonald’s restaurant.
He was arrested after a friend alerted by Lala’s boyfriend, who at the time was aboard visiting family, went round to her flat and found the 26-year-old’s body.
Manchester Crown Court heard how in the run up to the killing on March 8, Dia had been thrown out of the flat of his brother Khadim over his heroin and crack habit.
But Khadim allowed Dia to move back into the property in Denton, Greater Manchester after Lara, who worked at Wythenshawe Hospital, urged reconciliation.
She even got Dia a job at the McDonald’s where she also worked part-time to top up her income.
Moustapha Dia has been jailed for life after murdering his brother’s girlfriend
Despite her generosity Dia stole a PlayStation Lala had bought for Khadim as a present whilst living at the flat.
He also stole money from Lala’s purse while she was in the shower and £60 from a piggy bank which she and her boyfriend had been saving for a holiday.
Khadim, who had dated the victim for a year, publicly condemned his brother as an ‘animal,’ a ‘thief and a liar’ as the killer was jailed for a minimum of 24 years.
In a statement, Khadim said: ‘Lala was the kindest person and didn’t deserve to die. Since her death it has affected my life and my life has changed so much.
‘I think about her every day and I think about the way she died. Lala and I had many plans together for our life.
‘She just started her dream job caring for people in hospital, something she will have been so good at and I was so proud of her.
‘We lived together in a nice flat and it was somewhere we called home. It was where Lala felt safe.
‘She was my life partner and best friend and I was even thinking of asking her to marry me and always thought we would have children together, that is something we can never do because of my brother.’
‘Moustapha is an animal and should be in prison for a long time for what he has done. He is no longer my brother.’
Earlier the court heard how Dia had a ‘desperate need’ for money to fund his crack cocaine and heroin habit.
Shortly after moving back into the flat, Khadim flew to Italy to visit family, leaving Lala at home alone with his brother.
She began her training at the hospital but Dia snaffled the PlayStation and money and even texted his brother asking if he could transfer £20 into his account.
Lala discovered the Playstation was missing and swapped messages and calls with Khadim telling him of the theft and was heard ‘panicking crying and short of breath.’
Khadim advised her to remain clam and not challenge Dia about it and he promised he would deal with the theft when got home.
Meanwhile, Dia had been smoking crack cocaine with a friend and sold the Playstation to buy more drugs.
He smoked more drugs in the bathroom back home then messaged his friend pleading for another bag of heroin, saying he had £5.
When his plea was refused he went into Lala’s bedroom armed with a knife and demanded the details to her online banking before killing her.
When Khadim tried to call Lala, Dia falsely claimed she was at work and even used a WhatsApp video call to show his brother moving images of other rooms in the flat.
Dia gave no comment in interview but later tried to claim he accidentally killed Lala in self defence when she threatened him with a knife.
Sentencing, Judge Richard Mansell told Dia: ‘By your hands you have taken the life of an innocent woman and for what? A bag or two of heroin or crack cocaine and some cash to pay off your drugs debts.
‘The most likely scenario is that you pinned her down on the bed until she was on her back and you held both hands around her throat with considerable force as the life drained away from her face.
‘You then used her bank card to purchase food which I assume you ate despite the horrendous act of violence you had just committed.
‘She was clearly a very decent, kind human being who is a considerable loss to her family and society in general.’
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