Sentence increased for prisoner who killed cellmate

Vitalie Tanga's sentence has been extended to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years and six months

A man who strangled his cellmate to death with a kettle cord while awaiting trial has had his sentence extended.

At the time of Tajinder Kular's murder, Vitalie Tanga was awaiting trial for murdering Alfred Mattox, who was found injured in Wolverhampton in 2021, and an assault on another man.

Tanga, 41, was jailed for at least 25 years for Mr Mattox's death and the assault, but three months later that minimum term was effectively only extended by two and a half years for the prison attack.

This week, after a referral to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, it was extended to a minimum term of 32 years and six months, to run concurrent to his original sentence.

While Tanga was in HMP Birmingham awaiting trial, he turned on his cellmate on 29 September 2022, West Midlands Police said.

Kular was discovered unconscious by prison officers and taken to the on-site hospital, but never regained consciousness and died the next day, the force said.

Brutal attacks

A post-mortem examination found he had ligature marks round his neck, as well as bruising to his face and several broken bones in his neck.

Solicitor General MP Ellie Reeves said Tanga was "a violent man, who murdered two men in brutal attacks".

She added he had not taken "any responsibility for his actions" and she welcomed the decision to extend his sentence.

In April last year Tanga, originally from Moldova, was convicted of murder over Mr Mattox's death, after claiming the victim had made a pass at him at a party.

At the time, Det Insp Ade George, from the Homicide Unit, said it was clear Tanga "had a problem with Mr Mattox's sexuality so much so that he violently attacked him causing injuries that proved fatal".

Mr Mattox, 56, suffered severe head and face injuries in the attack in Merridale, Wolverhampton, in May 2021 and died two weeks later in hospital.