A man who refused to accept that a woman he shared a house with did not want a relationship with him has been convicted of her murder after he brutally attacked her.
Sheldon Rodrigues, 30 (28.11.93) of Willenhall Road, Hayes was found guilty of the murder of 39-year-old Stephanie Hansen following the conclusion of a trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 23 January.
Rodrigues was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on Friday, 8 March.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command led the investigation and said:
“For years Stephanie Hansen tried to extricate herself from Sheldon Rodrigues’ attention, attempting to make him understand that there was no chance of their friendship developing any further. Rodrigues refused to accept this and embarked on a campaign of persistent harassment over this time, a campaign that became more intense and sinister as it reached its violent conclusion.
“Stephanie was brutally attacked in her own home by someone she had known for years. It was clear she had become exhausted by Rodrigues’ persistent attention and was trying to find a way out.”
The court heard how Rodrigues and Stephanie had known each other since around 2015, prior to them moving in together at the house in Willenhall Road in 2022 where Rodrigues would carry out his vicious attack. For Stephanie, the reason for this cohabiting was to share bills and the general cost of living. Rodrigues desperately wanted an intimate relationship with Stephanie while she only wanted them to be friends.
Throughout the time they knew each other, Rodrigues would consistently send messages and make comments to Stephanie about his desire for them to be in a relationship. However, his behaviour became more sinister in the second half of 2022 when Stephanie began a relationship with another man.
Rodrigues’ comments intimated threats of violence to both Stephanie and her partner, while his behaviour became fuelled by paranoia.
He sent anonymous messages to Stephanie’s workplace in an attempt to undermine her new relationship and purchased covert monitoring equipment, including spy cameras and listening devices, which he installed around their house.
In November 2022, while Rodrigues was abroad in India, analysis showed he dialled into a covert listening device in the house to hear what was going on inside the house for an average of five hours each day.
On his return in late November, Rodrigues’ behaviour continued. On 10 December he followed Stephanie’s partner in his car, paying someone to drive him. He also sent an anonymous message to the man threatening his family.
Throughout December, Rodrigues continued to bombard Stephanie with messages and comments, urging her to end the relationship while on other occasions admitting that he had been a ‘psycho’.
Stephanie confided in her boyfriend that she was going to have to move away, clearly fearing that Rodrigues’ behaviour was escalating. On the morning of 30 December, it came to a shockingly violent conclusion.
Rodrigues arrived home from work at around 06:00hrs, knowing that her boyfriend had recently left the house after spending the night. Even though he had been at work, Rodrigues spent the majority of his shift utilising his covert monitoring devices to eavesdrop on what was going on in the house. When he returned home he launched a ferocious attack on Stephanie, stabbing her multiples times. Given the frenzied nature of the attack, he sustained cuts to both of his hands in the process.
Immediately, he began his attempts to cover up his crime and lay the blame on Stephanie’s boyfriend. Rodrigues called his work saying he wouldn’t be in that night as he had cut his hand while washing up; he then went out to a chemist to get bandages to treat his wounds. He also sent messages to Stephanie’s phone intimating she was still alive and had gone shopping.
It was only at around 10:00hrs the following day that Rodrigues called the emergency services, pretending that he had just found Stephanie’s body. Officers attended and spoke to Rodrigues who immediately attempted to point the finger of blame on Stephanie’s boyfriend, but his story quickly began to unravel. Noticing open bandage packaging within the house, officers enquired about any injuries – Rodrigues claimed he had cut his hand while cutting a chicken on Christmas Day, however, the cuts were still open and appeared fresh.
Officers checked CCTV from his work which showed him there on the 29 December, interacting with colleagues including giving one a high-five which caused him no discomfort – at no point was he wearing bandages.
Further analysis of CCTV from outside the house in Willenhall Road showed that Stephanie’s boyfriend had left the house on 29 December, shortly before Rodrigues returned home.
With evidence mounting, Rodrigues was charged with Stephanie’s murder.
DCI Neil John added: “While this conviction will do little to ease the intense pain that Stephanie’s family and friends continue to endure following her death, I hope it reinforces the Met’s determination to hold those who inflict violence against women and girls to account.”
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