A homeless man has admitted to the murder of a woman with a mallet, just days after she had invited him to stay at her home. Apapale Adoum, 39, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to killing 37-year-old Victoria Adams, whose body was discovered in her flat in Hammersmith, west London, in February.

Prosecutors revealed that Ms Adams sustained ‘at least ten separate injuries’ to her head from the mallet. The court heard that she had recently written a letter to Adoum, asking him to leave her residence.

Residents in the area reported hearing screams in the middle of the night shortly before her body was found, indicating a violent incident had occurred. Adoum appeared in court wearing a grey t-shirt to enter his plea. He also submitted a document to the court that included ‘derogatory comments about the victim’.

Judge Nigel Lickley, KC, informed Adoum, ‘I will sentence you on 24 October and on that day I will sentence you to a life sentence. The thing I have to decide is the minimum term you will serve.’ The case has raised concerns about safety and the tragic circumstances surrounding the incident.