Accused Aiah Tondoneh on murder charge

Published: 09 July, 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

A MURDER investigation has been launched in Finsbury Park after a nurse died of severe burns on Sunday.

Neighbours have left flowers at the door of Donna Drepaul, 50, who died two days after she was taken to hospital with burns.

Aiah Tondoneh, 43, appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday charged with ­murder. He was remanded in custody.

Neighbours reported seeing Ms Drepaul, who lived in a 17th-floor flat at Clifton Court, Biggerstaff Street, outside the block looking for help just before 4.30am on Friday.

She was taken to the Royal London Hospital in White­chapel, where she later died.

A young mother said she had left flowers at Ms Drepaul’s door. It is believed she was a nurse and shared her flat with her son. Another neighbour said: “She was a nice person, definitely not a trouble-maker – I’ve never known her to have trouble with anyone. 

“We weren’t close, but we would often have a chit-chat in the corridor, that sort of thing.” 

Police have sealed off Ms Drepaul’s front door dur­ing the investigation.

A neighbour said: “We’d talk to her in the hallway. I don’t know much about her. I think she had two grown-up children. Her son lived with her. She kept herself to herself.”

Another man said: “One guy was on his way home when he saw her outside. She needed help. A neighbour came out with a blanket for her.”

An inquest was opened and adjourned at St Pancras Coroner’s Court on Wednesday. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as burns. Mr Tondoneh, of Shoot-Up Hill, West Hampstead, will return to the Old Bailey on October 11 for a plea and case management hearing.

– Additional research by Conrad Landin