A KILLER who planted a “love bug” to listen to his flatmate have sex before he stabbed her to death has been jailed for life.
Sheldon Rodrigues became increasingly obsessed with Stephanie Hansen when she met boyfriend Celcso Cabillan.
Central NewsStephanie Hansen was stabbed to death by her housemate[/caption]
PASheldon Rodrigues has been jailed for life[/caption]
That fixation turned deadly when he fatally knifed the 39-year-old in her bedroom before trying to blame Celsco for the savage killing.
Rodrigues has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years years after being convicted of murder.
In a victim impact statement, Stephanie’s tearful mum Glenda Hansen said: “You took her life and you stole her future.”
Speaking about the murder trial, she continued: “You made us sit through weeks of torment and listen to your lies.”
The Old Bailey heard the trio all worked as cargo agents for Swissport at Heathrow airport.
Stephanie and Rodrigues had a sexual relationship several years before but she wanted no further romantic engagement with him.
She instead began seeing their colleague Celsco, who was married with children – causing Rodrigues to become consumed by jealousy.
The 30-year-old planted bugs around his and Stephanie’s home in Hayes, West London, to spy on her.
He spent 158 hours in total listening to his flatmate while he was at work or visiting family in Goa – averaging around three hours a day.
Chillingly, he sent Stephanie a message threatening to “hunt you down and destroy you” – but pretended it was from Celsco’s wife.
He also put a chilling image of the Joker on his Facebook page with the caption: “We stop looking for monsters under our bed when we realise they’re inside us.”
When he returned, he “exploded with rage” and “brutally attacked” her while she was still in her pyjamas.
She was knifed multiple times in the neck and battered repeatedly over the head – leaving blood splattered across her bedroom.
Rodrigues then rang 999 and told the operator he had found her body, saying “I think her boyfriend has done something to her”.
Stephanie was brutally attacked in her own home by someone she had known for years.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John
After he was arrested, police found messages showing his “long-standing obsession” with Stephanie, it was said.
He had text his colleague telling her “I want u”, and also wrote: “It hurts to see you every day knowing you’ll never like me.”
The killer also told Stephanie he would wait “50 years” for her, the court heard.
During his evidence, Rodrigues was asked about a number of “flattering” photos of Stephanie that were found in his bedroom.
He also offered to change his lifestyle and get plastic surgery if it would make him more “attractive” to Stephanie.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
Always keep your phone nearby.
Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
If you are in danger, call 999.
Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
And he messaged her asking if her boyfriend had a “bigger one” than him.
But Rodrigues denied being controlling and instead claimed he was concerned for his flatmate’s wellbeing.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command led the investigation and said: “For years Stephanie Hansen tried to extricate herself from Sheldon Rodrigues’ attention, attempting to make him understand that there was no chance of their friendship developing any further.
“Rodrigues refused to accept this and embarked on a campaign of persistent harassment over this time, a campaign that became more intense and sinister as it reached its violent conclusion.
“Stephanie was brutally attacked in her own home by someone she had known for years. It was clear she had become exhausted by Rodrigues’ persistent attention and was trying to find a way out.”
Central NewsStephanie had spurned Rodrigues’ advances[/caption]
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