Chingford: Married couple in court charged with man's murder

Preda Eugene died after being found with a serious head injury in the woodland where he lived, police said

A married couple have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man found fatally injured in woodland in London.

Preda Eugene, 39, was discovered with a serious head injury near Walthamstow Avenue in Chingford at about 21:10 GMT on 15 February. He died at the scene.

George-Elvis Tobasaru, 22, and Violeta-Cristina Ionescu, 21, both of no fixed abode, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with murder.

They were both remanded in custody and a plea hearing was set for 9 May.

A provisional trial date was set for 21 August.

Police said Mr Eugene lived in a hut in the woodland and officers were attempting to trace his movements from 11 February to the day of his death.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Eugene had died from a head injury, according to the Metropolitan Police.

He had suffered a severe skull fracture and fractures to both cheekbones, allegedly from at least two blows.

A bloodstained piece of wood was also recovered from the wooded area.

Det Insp Frank Copley said: "Although we've now charged two people in connection with Preda's murder, I am still keen to hear from anyone who has information about what led up to his death.

"We know that he was living in a hut in the woodland but what happened to cause his death? Did you see him, or anyone else in the area between Saturday February 11 and the day he was found?

"Any piece of information could be vital in establishing exactly what happened."

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