"This entire incident has been devastating."
A 24-year-old Brazilian man was sentenced to time in a mental institution for the manslaughter of an Indian student and the attempted murder of her friend.
The student was named Tejaswini Kontham and the incident took place in Wembley, London.
Keven Antonio Lourenco De Morais recently appeared at Isleworth Crown Court where he was sentenced under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act, 1983.
The Metropolitan Police added that he was also given a restriction order under Section 41 for the stabbing attacks in June 2023.
In April 2024, De Morais pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Detective Inspector Louise Cavee of the Met Police said:
“This entire incident has been devastating for all concerned.
“One young woman lost her life and another woman will likely never recover from the emotional scars, even when the physical ones have faded.
“It is right that Lourenco De Morais will now receive treatment.
“However, nothing will bring Tejaswini back to her family.
“Our thoughts remain with them.”
The court also heard that De Morais suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and was diagnosed three months before he stabbed Tejaswini, who was his flatmate.
If it wasn’t for his mental health disorder, the judge highlighted that he would have been given a life sentence, with a minimum of nine years to be served before he would be considered for parole.
However, a decision for a hospital order was taken in consultation with several doctors.
De Morais is expected to serve his time at a medium secure mental health unit in the south-east of London.
On June 13, 2023, Tejaswini, aged 27 was found suffering from injuries inflicted by a knife in London.
Another woman, aged 28 also had similar wounds.
Tejaswini, who was from Hyderabad, India, tragically could not be saved and she died at the scene.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old woman was taken to the hospital, where her injuries were determined not to be life-threatening.
A statement from Tejaswini’s family read: “The senseless and sudden way in which Teju was taken from us compounds our grief.
“Her death is such a huge loss for our family and we all miss her dearly.”
The second victim was also from India and was identified as Akhila.
Tejaswini had recently graduated from the University of Greenwich and had secured her post-study work visa.
Along with the Brazilian man, two other people were arrested in relation to the crime.
However, they were soon released without charge.
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