INDIAN STUDENT GETS LIFE SENTENCE FOR KILLING FRIEND IN UK

INDIAN STUDENT GETS LIFE SENTENCE FOR KILLING FRIEND IN UK Agencies Posted: Dec 17, 2008 at 1453 hrs IST London: Indian student Nagaraja Kumar Nalluri, who wrote 'I love you' in his own blood after killing a fellow student from Andhra Pradesh in Birmingham, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. In the sensational murder on May 6 that hit headlines, 23-year-old Samrajya Jyothirmai Vempala, who hailed from Vijaywada, died after sustaining severe head injuries. On the same day, Nalluri was found seriously injured in the same private accommodation where Jyothirmai was living in Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham. Both were students at the Wolverhampton University. Jyothirmai was enrolled on a postgraduate degree in Health Sciences while Nalluri, who had trained with her in India, was also enrolled at the same university. Nalluri was sentenced to life imprisonment this week by a jury in the Birmingham Crown Court. He must serve a minimum of 25 years before being considered for parole. Nalluri, 25, who denied killing Jyothirmai, had claimed that a masked intruder had forced his way into the house and attacked the two of them, according to reports from Birmingham. Delivering the verdict, Judge Melbourne Inman said: "On the evidence before the jury you struck her at least 12 times to the head. Undoubtedly many more blows were struck against her." Nalluri, 25, took a photo of the victim when she was either dead or dying as well as carrying out a serious sexual assault on her. The judge said the sexual assault had increased the depravity of the killing. Michael Burrows, prosecuting lawyer, said both the victim and the defendant had trained together in India before coming to the UK in September 2007 to study a Masters Degree in health studies at Wolverhampton University. They shared a house with other doctors in Montague Road, Handsworth. Burrows said it was probably the case that although the defendant loved Jyothirmai, she did not reciprocate his love or welcome his attentions. Burrows said the motivation for the killing may have been Nalluri's anger about being rebuffed. He said on May 6 Nalloori had taken some dumbbells to the victim's room before striking her to the head with them as she tried to protect herself. He then stripped her naked and tried to have sex with her. Burrows said he also used a knife to cut his wrists and neck and wrote in blood on the wall ‘I love Jyothi’. They were discovered, he said, about four hours later by one of the other doctors. James Burbidge, defending lawyer, said Nalluri had had an emotional breakdown and that there had not been premeditation of any significance. He said he was prepared to serve the community and was training in a profession to help others. The university had condoled Jyothirmais death in May. In a statement, it said: "Feedback from fellow students and tutors indicate that she (Jyothirmai) was a very bright and enthusiastic student". "She was a model international student, who will be missed by all, here at the University".

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