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| Omelette-spiking murderer jailed | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A man who spiked his girlfriend's omelette with sleeping pills, beat her and trapped her by setting fire to her home, has been jailed for life. | |
| Neighbours failed to save Dina Sharpe, 36, who called out for help from her burning flat in Southwark, south London while holding a 17-month-old boy. | |
| The toddler survived but suffered 75% burns, the Old Bailey jury heard. | The toddler survived but suffered 75% burns, the Old Bailey jury heard. |
| Stephen Singer, 36, of Prospect House, Southwark, was ordered to spend a minimum of 23 years in jail. | |
| The jury found him guilty of murder, attempted murder and arson, after the incidents in August last year. | |
| The court was told neighbours heard Miss Sharpe's cries from her fourth-floor flat in Charlton House in the early hours of 3 August. | |
| She was also seen at the window with the child in her arms, with flames in the background. | |
| Stephen Singer was having relationships with two women | |
| Andrew Munday, QC, prosecuting, said neighbours were able to save the boy, who was found on the bed shielded partly by Miss Sharpe's body. | |
| He said a post-mortem examination found the victim died from brain damage due to injuries on her face and head, and her blood contained traces of sleeping pills which were also found in a glass of wine and half an omelette at the flat. | |
| Mr Munday said: "Not only did he (Singer) spike the omelette, but also the wine." | |
| Singer hoped to give Miss Sharpe a "fatal overdose or at least to incapacitate her", he added. | |
| Police said Singer "viciously assaulted" her when the drugs took effect. | |
| Singer was seen buying lighter fuel the day before the fire at the flat. | |
| Forensic experts found lighter fuel at three places in the bedroom where the fire was started, the court heard. | |
| Det Ch Insp Carl Mehta said: "This is an absolutely horrific case and the level of callousness and brutality used by Singer to plan and execute the murder is just unimaginable." |