A boyfriend who killed an NHS nurse when she fell from a third-floor window trying to escape his brutal assault has been jailed for 12 years.

Leonidas Georgalla, 51, was in breach of a restraining order when he killed his partner Kathleen John, 39, in London Road, Wembley, in the early hours of 29 July 2022.

He had punched Ms John repeatedly in the face, breaking her nose and pulling a clump out of her hair when she climbed out of the window to escape him.

She fell into a yard below and died at the scene.

Georgalla had been abusing her since they met at a recovery group for cocaine addicts in 2017 including assault, false imprisonment and threats to kill.

NHS nurse Kathleen John died when she fell from a third-floor window trying to escape her partner's abuse

NHS nurse Kathleen John died when she fell from a third-floor window trying to escape her partner’s abuse

There had been a previous assault she had tried to escape by climbing out of the window and he had breached multiple court orders preventing him from seeing her.

Georgalla denied murder but admitted manslaughter and breach of a restraining order and his pleas were accepted by the prosecution.

The restraining order had been made at Willesden Magistrates Court a few weeks earlier on May 22, 2022 after he was convicted of harassment by sending her threatening messages.

In New Zealand in 2008, Georgalla was jailed for 20 months for assaulting his then wife, who had a teenage son.

She had got onto the bonnet of his car to prevent him from leaving and he had driven off at speed, driving for over 120 metres before she fell into the road, fracturing her skull and suffering bleeding to the brain.

Judge Usha Karu told the killer: ‘When you argued you were frequently violent toward Kathleen John.

‘You continued to threaten and assault her throughout the relationship. Domestic abuse including threats to kill were reported to the police.

‘Persistent breaches of court orders overtime caused her to become increasingly frightened by your threats and temper.

‘She must have been so terrified of you and the assault perpetrated upon her that she was forced to climb out of window.

‘All of this was brought about by the consequence of violence which was brought about in turn by drink, drugs and loss of temper.’

Prosecutor Jennifer Knight, KC, said: ‘Their relationship was a volatile one from the outset, they often argued and when they did Mr Georgalla was frequently violent.’

In September 2017, he was convicted of assaulting her by punching and kicking her around the head and legs while they holidayed together in Spain.

He continued to assault her throughout the relationship and in June 2020 a non-molestation order was imposed forbidding him from entering her flat or attempting to communicate with her.

However the couple continued to get back together.

Ms John had grabbed the windowsill with blood on her hands before climbing out

Ms John had grabbed the windowsill with blood on her hands before climbing out

Ms Knight said: ‘Over time Kathleen became increasingly frightened. ‘On several occasions in 2021 she mentioned her fears at one of the Cocaine Anonymous groups they attended.

‘She frequently resolved to end the relationship and had frequent separations but they rarely lasted.’

On 5 March 2022 Georgalla made a video call to his addiction sponsor brandishing a butter knife and saying he would put it in Ms John’s throat which was reported to police.

On 29 March he sent threatening messages to Ms John accusing her of prostitution and threatening to kill her.

Ms Knight said: ‘She was very frightened and reluctant to speak to police because of her fear but did on 5 May 2022 when he had been arrested the previous day.

‘She was very frightened and very worried about what he would do if and when he was released from custody.’

He was convicted of harassment and breaching a restraining order and another order was imposed which was meant to last until May 2025.

However by July the couple were seeing each other again.

Georgalla was living at his daughter’s flat in London Road, Wembley, and on 28 July he and Ms John went to Nando’s before returning to the flat with alcohol bought from Tesco.

Ms Knight said: ‘Sometime after returning from Nando’s it is clear he assaulted her in that flat.

‘It began in the bedroom, continued into the living room where a clump of Kathleen’s hair was forcibly pulled out.

‘He assaulted her several times in that flat. He had also assaulted her a number of times over the course of the relationship.

‘She was quite obviously frightened. She must have climbed out of the window of the flat either because she was trying to find safe haven from the attack on her or because affectively the ferocity of that assault had forced her out of the window with no option of anywhere else to go.

‘When outside she stood holding the outside window. There is no way of knowing how long she stood there but there was clearly a point where he stood beside the window as well.

‘Ultimately she fell backward to her death onto the concrete of the yard outside.’

Leonidas Georgalla denied murder but admitted manslaughter and breach of a restraining order and his pleas were accepted by the prosecution

Leonidas Georgalla denied murder but admitted manslaughter and breach of a restraining order and his pleas were accepted by the prosecution

When Georgalla’s daughter and her friends returned to the flat they could hear her father sobbing and found him in an alleyway by the side of the house.

He was stood over Ms John’s body sobbing and saying ‘please don’t die’. He told them she had fallen and then said she had jumped.

Paramedics arrived and attempted resuscitation but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police saw fresh scratches on Georgalla’s neck and he told them she had fallen from the window. He also said: ‘If I’ve killed her I’ll go to prison for 20 years’.

As well as injuries from the fall, Ms John had facial injuries suggestive of serious assault of punches to her head and face.

There were also injuries suggesting she had been gripped by the arms, a fractures nose and lacerated lips.

A pathologist found she would have been bleeding profusely form the face.

Blood from Ms John and from Georgalla and signs of a struggle were found in the bedroom and living room.

Ms John had grabbed the windowsill with blood on her hands before climbing out.

Fingerprints showed he stood inside and placed his right hand through the window while she was outside.

Ms John’s 19-year-old son Rio read his victim impact statement at the Old Bailey today.

He said: ‘Not a day goes by when I don’t think about my mother and how much she suffered that dreadful night and how her life would have flashed before her eyes.

‘I will always remember how much fun we had when we were together, we would always laugh so much.’

He said that despite getting good grades he had deferred going to university and was struggling socially.

He added: ‘People say they can see the sadness in my eyes. I just hope justice is done for her today.’

Ms John’s mother Christine John, in her 70s, told the court: ‘On 29 July 2022 my daughter was tragically taken from me and my family in extremely violent circumstances.

‘The impact of that night is forever etched in my heart and soul and it’s affect can never, ever be fully articulated.

‘I am no longer a mother – my only daughter was cruelly taken from me.

‘As the years advance for me I will be alone without the loving support of Kathleen- a beautiful girl I loved and cherished since I first laid eyes on her 40 years ago.’

In a letter to the judge, the abuser said he was remorseful and would live with a lifetime of ‘guilt and sadness’.

He has been working as a barber and receptionist in prison. The killer cried in the dock at various times throughout the hearing.

More than 200 people attended Ms John’s funeral.

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