Barking man pleads guilty to murder of woman in Little Heath

Mother of two Maria Rawlings was from Chelmsford (Pic-Met Police)

A man has plead guilty at The Old Bailey to the murder of a woman in Little Heath.

Maria Rawlings’ body was found by a dog walker in Little Heath at around 2pm on Tuesday, 4 May 2021. 

Valentin Lazar, of Barking, was charged with murder just under a week later, on the evening of Monday, 10 May. 

A post-mortem examination showed that she had died from neck compression and possible blunt force head trauma. 

Lazar, 21, plead guilty to the murder of Maria Rawlings at The Old Bailey today. 

He will be sentenced at a later date. 

Lazar is believed to have attacked her after she left the King George Hospital in Ilford and walked towards the A12 on the evening of Monday, 3 May.

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