In a heartbreaking case in west London, a homeless man has admitted to murdering a woman who had taken him into her £1.3 million flat just days earlier. Victoria Adams, 37, was found dead in her Hammersmith home on Coulter Road on February 9, 2025, after police responded to reports of a man attempting to break into the property.
A Brutal Attack
Police discovered Ms. Adams face down in a bedroom, a black bin bag over her head and a pillow covering it. She had suffered at least 10 severe injuries to the back and side of her head, inflicted with a blunt object. A mallet, found at the scene with her blood and DNA on it, was identified as the murder weapon.
The Perpetrator
The attacker, Apapale Adoum, 39, was arrested at the scene. Adoum, who had been living in a homeless shelter, met Ms. Adams on February 6, when she kindly invited him to stay in her flat. However, their arrangement quickly soured, and Ms. Adams left a note asking him to leave.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
On Tuesday, Adoum appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded guilty to murder. Judge Nigel Lickley KC informed him that the mandatory sentence for murder is life imprisonment, with sentencing scheduled for October 24, 2025. Adoum, who had been charged in June and appeared via video-link from Wandsworth prison for earlier hearings, was remanded in custody.
A Community in Shock
The senseless killing has left the Hammersmith community reeling, as questions linger about the circumstances that led to such a violent betrayal of trust. Ms. Adams’ act of compassion ended in tragedy, underscoring the complexities of vulnerability and safety in acts of kindness.
