STUDENT CONVICTED OF EXECUTING ELDERLY COUPLE IN TORQUAY
A 29-year-old individual named Odai Salah has been convicted of the savage murder of an elderly couple inside their flat in Torquay.Prosecutors described his actions as a “cold-blooded execution.” In January, Salah murdered Rosemary Windle, aged 72, by strangulation, and Maurece Smith, aged 71, by suffocation, as part of an attempt to steal their money.
After committing the murders, he seized cheque books and credit cards, remaining nearby to monitor the scene and prevent discovery.
Salah received a life sentence, with a minimum term of 30 years.
During proceedings at Exeter Crown Court, it was revealed that Salah, a Lebanese citizen and a law student attending Glasgow Caledonian University, had amassed debts totaling roughly £170,000 and was under significant financial strain from lenders.
The case moved quickly when police linked Salah to the crime after he attempted to cash a cheque worth £27,000 in Mrs.
Windle’s name at a bank in Exeter on the day of the killings.
Forensic evidence tied Salah to the crime scene, showing his DNA on both victims and on the murder weapon, which was traced back to his home.
Prosecutor Paul Dunkels QC described the murders as “a series of cold-blooded executions to fund his financial needs,” adding that Salah must have believed killing was the only method to acquire their money, stating, “He must have decided that the only way to get their money was to kill them both.
That is what he did.” The judge, Mr.
Justice Jack, sentenced Salah, stating, “I come to the conclusion that you have no morality.” The court branded the murders a wicked crime, emphasizing Salah’s lack of morals and the calculated nature of the killings.
