Brian Sengendo: 'Devil-obsessed ripper' jailed for murdering woman

Brian Sengendo had a collection of Tarot cards and was recorded on his mobile phone talking about devils and demons

A "Devil-obsessed" murderer has been jailed for life after killing a woman and attacking two others in north London in the space of four hours.

Brian Sengendo was convicted at the Old Bailey of seven charges, including the murder of Therasia Gordon, 44, as well as attempted murder, kidnap, and rape.

The 27-year-old beat and stabbed Ms Gordon before dumping her body in woods in Enfield on 3 August 2020.

Judge John Hillen sentenced to him to a minimum of 42 years in prison.

Therasia Gordon was beaten and stabbed Therasia Gordon before dumping her body in woods

During the trial, jurors heard the delivery driver, from Gilbert Street in Enfield, north London, kidnapped vulnerable women, including sex workers, by "tricking" them into his van.

Hours before he killed Ms Gordon, he had kidnapped and raped his first victim at knifepoint, before trying to murder her by stabbing her seven times.

His second victim was a woman he kidnapped and threatened to kill.

Jurors were told Sengendo, who had a collection of Tarot cards, was recorded on his mobile phone talking about devils and demons, and told one victim "repeat after me, I'm the Devil's child" as he forced her into a sex act.

The jury was discharged from reaching verdicts on two other counts of kidnap and threatening with a knife in relation to a fourth woman.

'Sex workers remain vulnerable'

Sengendo had denied all the charges and blamed a work associate called KT, despite incriminating DNA and CCTV evidence.

Following his conviction, he "confessed" to a psychiatrist and blamed his social isolation, unemployment and drug and drink abuse.

Judge Hillen highlighted the vulnerability of sex workers, citing recent figures identifying 152 being murdered since 1990.

He said: "Sex workers - women, men, transgender - remain and will remain vulnerable.

"It is that vulnerability you took advantage of when you set out on a determined effort to kidnap, to rape, ultimately to kill a sex worker and then to violate sexually the dead or dying body."

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