Man jailed for murder following violent attack in Stratford car park

A man has been jailed after being found guilty of a fatal attack in a car park in Stratford after a jury saw through his claims that he acted in self defence.

Vasile Gorghescu, 42 (20.02.82) of Rayner Gardens, Southampton was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 December after being found guilty of murdering 45-year-old Chaudhary Mahmood.

The court had heard how on 9 January 2024 Gorghescu had lured Chaudhary to a car park in Stratford on the pretence of selling him mobile phones. However, Gorghescu – who had borrowed his brother’s car and driven from Southampton to facilitate the meeting – planned to scam Chaudhary and instead had a box filled with fizzy drinks that he planned to pass off as the phones.

When Chaudhary discovered the fraud, Gorghescu launched a frenzied attack, stabbing him 27 times. He then hid Chaudhary’s body under blankets and boxes and left the car in situ at the car park before returning to Southampton.

Once there he told his brother to report that his car had been stolen and confessing there was a body in it. This information was reported to police and the car was located in the early hours of the following day.

Gorghescu was arrested the same day and detectives were quickly able to piece together what had taken place in the car park. He was charged on 11 January with Chaudhary’s murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command led the investigation and said:

“Vasile Gorghescu drove to meet Chaudhary Mahmood armed with a weapon and clearly with the intention of resorting to violence should his fraudulent plan be uncovered.

“Chaudhary – who went to the car park in Stratford with the intention of buying mobile phones – realised this was a scam and was defenceless in the face of Gorghescu’s attack.

“Throughout this process, Gorghescu has attempted to deflect blame away from himself, claiming he acted in self-defence and that he also could not remember what happened. The court through saw these lies and he has rightly been held to account for his actions.

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for Chaudhary’s family and nothing will ever erase the pain of their loss. However, I hope that Gorghescu’s conviction and lengthy prison sentence will give them some small sense of closure.”