Genu Armeanu, 45, told the jury - before being convicted of murder - he committed the horrific act 'out of love' after become obsessed with the 44-year-old in the final days of her life
HORRIFYING CCTV footage captured the moment a jealous ex launched an attack on a mum-of-three where he knifed her 19 times.
Genu Armeanu can be seen waiting for Elisabeta Lacatusu outside her East London home before plunging a knife into her in the street.
The 45-year-old - convicted of her murder in just 15 minutes yesterday - approached her after she returned home to Ilford around 7pm on January 3.
His ex, who appears startled to see the man she had ended things with, speaks to him for a few moments before the camera catches him draw a knife from his pocket and attack her.
They move into the road as he continues to stab the 44-year-old in a frenzied attack while she falls to the ground.
He told the jury he committed the horrific act "out of love" after become obsessed with her in the final days of her life.
He was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 28 years.
The pair had known each other since they were children in Romania and began a relationship late summer last year.
Her family were unhappy about it and Ms Lacatusu tried to end things but Armeanu was persistent, the Old Bailey heard.
Armeanu bombarded her with increasingly desperate Facebook messages towards the end of last year as he tried to salvage their relationship.
He would sent her messages threatening to kill himself and then threatening her.
Prosecuting, Jocelyn Ledward, said: "He wasn't getting from her what he wanted.
"If he could not have her, nobody else would. He would kill her if he could not have her back."
"After engaging her in conversation, he drew a knife that he had brought to the scene from his pocket and launched a frenzied attack upon her, stabbing her repeatedly to her neck and torso, causing serious injuries which caused her death within a few minutes.
"He left her for dead in the street and walked away."
The kitchen knife he used to attack her was found in the street, and a few hours later he sent a message to a friend admitting the murder.
The 30-second attack was caught on CCTV footage from the home of one of Ms Lacatusu's neighbours.
Armeanu later told police in interview: "She said that she's not going to marry... and that I shouldn't be minding her personal life and then I took out the knife and I killed her."
He added: "I only seen black in front of my eyes and I stabbed her with the knife.
"There is nothing much to tell, just that I love her too much and I couldn't live with the thought that she is away to the other one so then, I've had this thought to kill her, that's all."
Jurors took just 15 minutes to convict him of murder following a three-day trial.
Madalina Lacatusu, Elisabeta's daughter, said: "My mother was an exceptional mother who loved us and she raised us with a lot of love, attention and care.
"My mother was full of life, happy and energetic. She spent her life bringing me and my sisters Ioana and Elena up. She supported the three of us all the time, until the last moments of her life and she spent all of her spare money on us and her two grandchildren.
"Our lives have changed completely since she is no longer with us. Her death shattered our daily peace and now we just try to survive. I don't really know how I still carry on living. I am scared to walk out on the streets, I try to go out accompanied."
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