Wembley: Man jailed for killing girlfriend who fell to death

Leonidas Georgalla refused to speak to police about the killing

A man has been jailed for 12 years for killing his girlfriend, who fell two floors to her death in north-west London.

Leonidas Georgalla, 51, was initially charged with murdering Kathleen John but prosecutors later accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter.

Ms John was found by emergency services in the early hours of 29 July 2022 on a pathway beside her flat in Wembley.

Det Insp John Marriott described Georgalla as a "danger to women".

When officers entered the flat they found blood along with broken items, indicating there had been some sort of disturbance.

Georgalla, who was outside the flat when the emergency services arrived, was arrested.

A post-mortem investigation found the 39-year-old's injuries were consistent with an assault in addition to those she suffered in the fall.

The exact circumstances of how Kathleen John came to fall from her flat will never be known, police said

A restraining order was in place against Georgalla in relation to previous domestic violence, a Met Police spokesperson said..

Georgalla, who refused to answer any questions put to him by officers following his arrest, was sentenced on Friday. He will be on an additional five-year licence following his 12-year prison term.

Det Insp Marriott said: "We will never know the exact circumstances of how Kathleen came to fall from the window of her flat but the post-mortem examination shows she had sustained assault injuries in the moments prior to this.

"While Leonidas has admitted responsibility for her death, this will be of little solace to Kathleen's family and friends."