Family express sadness at death of woman murdered because she left front door open

A man who killed his housemate with a kitchen knife over a trivial row has been convicted of her murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Gary Davis, 51, of Tunnel Avenue, Greenwich was today, Monday 17 December, found guilty of murdering 56-year-old Gita Suri following a trial at the Old Bailey.

He killed her in a frenzied attack supposedly because she had repeatedly left open the front door to the half-way house they were both living in. He then left her body under a duvet in the garden for two days.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 17 years.

The court heard that police were called at around 11.32am on Saturday, 23 June following reports that a man had seen a body in the garden of Tunnel Avenue, the property at which both Davis and Gita lived.

The pair were the only occupants in the property, which housed adults with mental health issues.

Officers found Gita’s body partially hidden under a duvet in the back garden.

At the scene, Davis admitted that he frequently argued with Gita, but said he hadn’t seen her for a couple of days.

He was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.

A post mortem was carried out the following day which revealed Gita had died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the upper body and back.

In his police interview, Davis admitted killing Gita on Thursday, 21 June in a “frenzied attack” because he was sick of her repeatedly leaving the front door of the property open.

He claimed that the pair were in the kitchen when he confronted her over the issue and she then started shouting back at him and screaming she was going to call the police.

After punching her twice until she fell to the floor, he picked up a kitchen knife from the table and stabbed her multiple times, not stopping until she fell silent.

He then tried to set light to her body before dragging her outside and covering her with a duvet in the garden, which he kept in place with logs.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “Davis carried out a horrendous attack on Gita which led to her death and then callously attempted to cover up what he had done.

“Her family have to live with the consequences of one man’s actions for the rest of their lives and we hope this result gives them some measure of comfort.”

Gita’s daughter and son-in-law said: “Gita was a lovely, caring lady, who will be missed dearly by all those who knew her.

“We accept this verdict, and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Metropolitan Police for all their hard work during the investigation and the continued support they have provided our family throughout this difficult time.

“While it is difficult for us to imagine life without Gita, we are thankful for the years we did have with her and are hopeful that lessons can be learnt from this incident so that no more families have to go through the loss we have.”