Heathrow worker 'killed flatmate after planting bug to hear her having sex'

09 January 2024 , 13:07

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Stephanie Hansen was found dead in her west London home (Image: Rachel Swabey)

An airport worker accused of stabbing his female flatmate to death had planted a secret listening device to hear her have sex with her married boyfriend, a court has heard.

Murder accused Sheldon Rodrigues became increasingly possessive and jealous of Stephanie Hansen, 39, after she met her boyfriend Celcso Cabillan at work at Heathrow, the Old Bailey has heard. After hearing them having sex on a secret listening device Rodrigues planted in their shared house, he returned home to stab Ms Hansen to death in her pyjamas, it is claimed.

Rodrigues, 30, denies the charge and claims to the court that Mr Cabillan is in fact the true murderer. The trio all worked as cargo agents for Swissport at Heathrow Airport. Ms Hansen had more than one sexual encounter with Rodrigues several years before but Ms Hansen wanted no romantic involvement with him again, the court heard.

Jurors were told that Rodrigues became jealous and planted bugs in their home in Hayes, West London and while visiting relatives in Goa, India, he listened in on his flatmate with Mr Cabillan, who was married to someone else with children. He then attacked her at her home in the early hours of December 30, 2022, leaving blood splattered across the bedroom, jurors have heard.

Stephanie Hansen was 39 years old

He then rang 999 and told the operator he had found Ms Hansen's body saying "I think her boyfriend has done something to her", the court heard. Rodrigues told the court he wasn't jealous but was concerned for her as he felt that Mr Cabillan was not going to leave his wife.

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He told the court: "It didn't seem like he was going to leave his wife because he was never giving a normal answer when asked the question. He kept giving her false hope over and over again and I didn't like that."

Prosecutor Gareth Patterson, KC, asked the defendant: "What you didn't like was he was getting in the way of your long-standing obsession and hope that one day she might have a relationship with you. The biggest problem in that relationship other than the fact he was married was you constantly trying to interrupt the relationship."

Rodrigues admitted launching a campaign against Mr Cabillan trying to undermine his employment and relationship with Ms Hansen. He denied it made him jealous that other people were interested in Ms Hansen.

He told the jury: "It didn't because she's been with other people before and I was happy she'd found someone. I wanted her to be happy. I never forced her to do something she hadn't wanted to do. I wouldn't say I've been possessive." Rodrigues from Hayes, West London, denies murder. The trial continues.

Kelly-Ann Mills