A 32-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his stroke victim mother-in-law by sexually assaulting her so violently she bled to death.
Mohammed Yassin Yusuf, 32, set upon Amoe Seline Stevens at the home they shared in Cairnfield Avenue, Neasden, on October 18 2013 after his wife left him in the company of the frail 64-year-old pensioner, who endured mobility and speech problems as a result of a stroke.
Detective Chief Inspector, Noel McHugh, who led the investigation from the Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "This was a truly horrendous crime committed against a vulnerable and defenceless woman.
"Mrs Stevens suffered ill health and Yusuf should have offered her care and protection. Instead he chose to use her vulnerabilities to his own sexual benefit and violated her in the most despicable way possible.
"We believe Yusuf had assaulted Mrs Stevens on multiple occasions but due to her disabilities she was never able to communicate with her family and expose his sickening actions. We also believe that Yusuf is sexually deviant and may well have tried to target other women in his past."
The Old Bailey heard that within moments of his wife exiting the home, Yusuf had locked himself in his mother-in-law's bedroom and started to assault her. The assault only ended when a registered carer arrived to get Mrs Stevens ready for bed.
The carer became suspicious as Mr Yusuf rushed from the bedroom to his kitchen with blood spots on his hands and shirt.
When she entered the bedroom she saw Mrs Stevens slumped in a recliner chair with blood smeared across her legs and a pool of blood on the floor. As she attempted to challenge Yusuf in the kitchen she realised he was trying to clean the blood from his hands and clothes. She quickly left the property and called for an ambulance and police to attend.
As she stood outside of the address it became clear that Yusuf was making attempts to clear away the blood from the scene.
Mrs Stevens was taken by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington but died from her injuries within hours.
A post-mortem examination revealed that she had haemorrhaged after suffering multiple internal injuries, and Yusuf was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of his mother-in-law.
Yusuf, who was convicted by a jury of murder on Monday, will be sentenced on Friday.
The family of Mrs Stevens said in a written statement after the verdict: "We, as a family, are devastated by the loss of our beloved Amoe. We can't imagine how we will ever come to terms with our loss. The detectives from the Homicide Command have been truly exceptional and we would like to thank them for their thorough investigation and support throughout this ordeal."
Police are urging anyone who came into contact with Yusuf and had concerns about his behaviour to contact the Incident Room on 020 8785 8099.
