A Stanmore man who fatally stabbed a woman has been jailed for life today.

The Old Bailey heard today (Wednesday, October 15) that Nicolae Patraucean, 21, a Romanian national of Stanmore pleaded guilty in June to murdering Rivka Holden.

On March 16 a police car was flagged down and officers were alerted to a seriously injured woman at her home address in Falcon Way, Collindale.

London Ambulance Service attended the address and Rivka Holden, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene. She had suffered stab injuries.

A murder investigation was launched under Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall of the Homicide & Major Crime Command.

A Newton Hearing was held today at the Old Bailey in order for key evidence to be heard by the judge prior to sentencing.

Patraucean was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 25 years' imprisonment.

The victim's Red Hyundai i20, which had been stolen by Patraucean and driven away from the scene, was later found abandoned in the Kingsbury area.

Robbery was not, however, believed to be the motive for the murder.

Detectives traced Patraucean, who was charged on Monday, March 17 with the murder of Ms Holden.

Detective Inspector Simon Ashwin, of the Homicide & Major Crime Command, said: "I hope this sentence gives Ms Holden's family some solace in knowing that her killer has been brought to justice and will spend many years in prison."