A woman was found dead in her London flat in February this year – a court heard Victoria Adams was allegedly battered to death with a mallet days after taking in a homeless man
A woman was allegedly battered to death with a mallet days after taking in a homeless man, a court has heard. Victoria Adams, 37, was found dead at her flat in Hammersmith, west London, on February 9 after police were called to a report of a man attempting to break in to the property in Coulter Road.
She was found face down in a bedroom with a black bin bag over her head which was covered by a pillow, the Old Bailey heard. She had suffered at least 10 separate injuries to the back and side of the head from being struck with a blunt object, prosecutor Peter Ratliff said.
Further investigations led to the recovery of a mallet which allegedly had blood and the victim’s DNA on it.
On February 9, Apapale Adoum, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He was charged with the offence on June 5.
It is alleged the victim met him on February 6 when he was living in a homeless shelter and had invited him to stay with her but later wrote a note to ask him to leave.
On Tuesday, Adoum appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Wandsworth prison for a preliminary hearing and spoke only to confirm him identity.
Judge Nigel Lickley KC set a plea hearing for August 26 and a provisional three-week trial from March 23 2026.
The defendant was remanded into custody