Man admits to murder of Indian-origin woman he met on dating site

A British man has admitted murdering an Indian-origin single mother he had met on an online dating site. Miles Donnelly pleaded guilty on Monday to the murder of 44-year-old Usha Patel, whose body was found in her flat in Cricklewood area of north-west London in October last year.

She had been stabbed, beaten across the face and strangled by the 35-year-old who later went on the run before being arrested by Scotland Yard. He had initially denied charges of murder but on the day his two-week trial was to begin at Old Bailey Court in London he admitted the crime and now faces life in prison for the crime.

“The injuries are such as to suggest to me a terrible ferocity and I have to say possibly sadistic conduct over and above violence used to kill,” Judge Rebecca Poulet said as she suspended sentencing till Thursday.

The court heard that Donnelly, aka Miles Ryan, first came into online contact with Patel in April last year and the pair went on to meet in person before continuing to keep in touch. The murder occurred after Patel invited him over to her home on October 7 with the understanding of having sex. They had both undressed when Donnelly attacked the mother-of-one, stabbing her 16 times and punching her around the head.