Murdering rapist 'will get life'

Grace Moore's body was found by her teenage daughter

A Nigerian man has been told by a judge he will get a life sentence after he admitted raping and murdering a Belfast woman in her home two years ago.

On Wednesday Kristoff Emmanual Alauya, 25, admitted murdering 38-year-old Grace Moore just hours after meeting her in a nightclub in November 2006.

He denied raping her but on Thursday changed his plea to admit his guilt.

The victim was strangled, stabbed and raped. Her daughter found the body when she returned home later that night.

After Alauya pleaded guilty and the jury recorded verdicts of guilty by confession, the judge, Mr Justice Weir, told Alauya the only sentence open to him to pass was one of life imprisonment.

During the trial the jury had heard how Alauya, who had an address at Churchfield in County Carlow in the Republic of Ireland, had come to Belfast just a few days before meeting Ms Moore in Skye nightclub.

They went back to her flat in Erris Grove, west Belfast, where she was attacked.

Forensic officers enter the flat where the body was found

Alauya then ransacked the flat, stole a number of items, and took a taxi back to a flat in University Avenue in the south of the city.

After thanking the jury for their service, Mr Justice Weir remanded Alauya back into custody and adjourned passing sentence until January 2009.