A convicted killer battered his sister-in-law to death with a hatchet after making repeated threats, a court has heard.

Household tensions in the lockdown escalated in April last year when Nicolae Virtosu, 48, killed Svetlana Mihalachi, 53, the Old Bailey was told.

The attack came some 12 years after the Moldovan defendant was convicted of strangling his wife.

Virtosu is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of murdering Ms Mihalachi and making threats to kill.

Prosecutor Catherine Pattison told jurors: “There is now no dispute or issue that it was this defendant that killed the victim and that he did so by striking her repeatedly with a hatchet.

“What you will have to decide is why he did so and what his state of mind was at the time. The prosecution say that this is a clear case of murder.”

Ms Pattison said the killing took place around the time when people were adapting to lockdown rules.

The defendant was living in a house in Princes Road, Ilford, also occupied by his brother Iurie Virtosu, his partner Ms Mihalachi, and others.

“Cracks started to appear” in the relationship between Virtosu and Ms Mihalachi, with arguments over chores, noise and money, jurors heard.

When asked to move out, the defendant refused, allegedly telling his brother: “I do what I want, no woman commands me, she’s at fault, not me.”

As the situation deteriorated, Ms Pattison said: “Svetlana became worried for her safety. She feared that the defendant would kill her. She was right.

“You see, this isn’t the first time that the defendant has killed someone. On September 20, 2009 the defendant was convicted of unlawfully killing his then wife, Anastasia Virtosu, by strangulation. The defendant’s conviction for unlawful killing was known within the family.”

The court heard the victim asked a friend to anonymously alert the Home Office immigration services that the defendant was in the UK illegally in the hope he would be deported.

At her husband’s suggestion, she secretly recorded the defendant’s conversations, jurors were told.

Last February, the defendant allegedly said he would “cut a devil’s head off” and “go to prison”.

On one occasion, the defendant allegedly told his brother: “In the same way that I have killed my wife, I could easily kill yours too. It’s not a big deal.”

Last March, the victim called police to report a threat against her, saying she was scared, the court heard.

Officers explained they could not evict the defendant but would report him to immigration services, the court heard.

Virtosu has denied the charges against him and the trial continues.

Reporting by Press Association.