The family of a 28-year-old pregnant woman stabbed to death in Neasden have paid moving tributes to a "happy person" who dreamt of building "a good life" in London.
Romanian national and mum-of-two, Andra Hilatanu, was seven months pregnant when she was found stabbed in the neck at a Neasden Lane address at around 2am on Friday (June 1).
Andra's 19-year-old step niece, Paula Larisa, has paid moving tributes to the "happy" aunt she lived with for a time in London.
Speaking to getwestlondon from Romania, Paula said: "Five years ago we were living in London and my step mother was working as a housekeeper at a hotel. She invited Andra, her little sister, to come to London from Romania and do the same.
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"My step mum said she had found a job for Andra and so she came. She lived with us for a couple of months but then she found a guy who she moved in with.
She added: "At the beginning she was OK, she was looking for a job to make money for her kids."
Andra first moved to London it was with her two children Angelo, 10, and Ariana, seven, but following financial difficulties they moved to Italy to live with their father, where they have been for the past two years.
According to Paula, they have not yet been told about their mother's death.
She said: "They don't know about their mother yet."
Paula and her mother, Ramona Hilatanu, 31, moved back to Romania from London in 2016, which is the last time Paula saw Andra.
Paula added: "When (Andra) first moved to London she was happy, she was glad to have good family. She wanted to work and be a house keeper with my mother. To have a house where she and her children could live - to have a good life, you know?
"She was a very happy person. At the weekend when she had free time she loved doing everything. Going to the park with people, going to the cinema - she liked to live life."
According to Paula it was her stepmother who had to fly from Romania to London on Friday to identify Andra's body.
Paula said: "My step mother is crying a lot, she can't stop crying. We are angry about what's happened - of course we want justice."
A 43-year-old man from Neasden Lane was charged with murder after the attack and appeared in custody at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Monday (June 4).
Ioan Campeanu was remanded to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday (June 6).
