By Samantha Jones-
Two fraudsters have began their life sentences of at least 35 years for murdering a 71-year-old businesswoman in a £4.6 million scam to plunder her life savings.
Louise Kam, from Potters Bar, was strangled with a hairdryer cord and dumped in a wheelie bin after being lured to a three-bedroom house she owned in Barnet on July 26, 2021 undewr the disguise that her killers wanted to purchase her property.
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In a victim impact statement, Ms Kam’s son Gregory Kam said the family had been left in a state of “disbelief” at what had happened to her and that his mother fell for “the lies of this wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
Mr Kam had warned his mother it could be a scam but she was eager to go ahead, with the encouragement of her friend, jurors heard.
During the trial, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow KC had told the jury that Al-Jundi was “prepared to stop at nothing” and his friend, El-Abboud, was “more than happy” to help in his fraudulent plan.
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Kusai Al-Jundi, 25, of Wood End Road, Harrow, and Mohamed El-Abboud, 28, of Gallants Farm Road, Barnet, were found guilty of her murder on January 20 and jailed for life, yesterday Wednesday. The verdict brought some solace to her family
The pair met her at the Gallants Farm Road address to finalise arrangements. Here, she was strangled with the cord from a hairdryer and her body was dumped in a bin.
The following day, Al-Jundi began to use Ms Kam’s mobile phone to send messages to her friends and family pretending that she was alive and well, and that she had gne on holiday.
But those who knew her realised that this was a lie and that the messages could not have been written by her.
Later that day, El-Abboud sold Ms Kam’s BMW to an unsuspecting buyer. He bought new clothes with the money and posted a TikTok video of him dancing in the driveway of the Barnet home.
Ms Kam was reported missing on July 27, and her car was recovered by police on July 28 in Edgware, with her body discovered on August 1.
A police investigation established that the mobile phone messages had been sent using the Wi-Fi at Al-Jundi’s restaurant in Willesden, while traces of both men’s DNA were found on a pair of gloves wrapped up with Ms Kam’s body.
El-Abboud’s DNA was also found on a hair dryer used to strangle her, while blood and fibres from her clothes were found on a jumper he was wearing.
“This horrific crime is a tale of greed taken to extremes. Al-Jundi and El-Abboud selfishly and brutally ended Louise Kam’s life for their own ends,” said Catherine Gould, prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service.
“These defendants hatched a plan to kill Louise and profit from her death.
“Al-Jundi sent false text messages purporting to be from Louise to her family and friends claiming that she had left the country and even had the audacity to claim that she had defrauded him at a time when he knew full well that she had been killed.
“El-Abboud confessed to a friend that he had killed Louise but denied this at trial. We are grateful that the jury saw through his lies. The police worked quickly to establish that Louise had come to harm and to secure the evidence to present a strong and compelling case to put before the jury.
“Our thoughts remain with Louise’s family and friends and we sincerely hope that these guilty verdicts will bring them some comfort.”
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from Specialist Crime, led the investigation which he described as “painstaking”, as he passed on his thoughts to Ms Kam’s family and friends.
“This was a despicable, calculated and callous crime of greed carried out by two young men against an elderly lady,” he said.
“Over a number of months, Al-Jundi attempted to plunder her life savings and take ownership of her properties. El-Abboud assisted his friend in bringing the plot to a fatal conclusion; Louise was strangled and her body dumped unceremoniously in a rubbish bin.
“Heartless attempts were then made to deceive her family and friends as to her whereabouts.
“As a result of a painstaking investigation, my team discovered evidence that conclusively linked both defendants to the murder of Louise.
“My thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Louise who, despite this verdict, may never get over the tragic circumstances surrounding her death.”
The judge told Al-Jundi: “From the time you were first put in touch with Louise Kam earlier in 2021, Al-Jundi you told her lie after lie.
“You claimed to be a person of means with the backing of a multi-millionaire girlfriend who was going to fund the acquisition of her properties at a level in excess of the market value, so that Louise could provide homes for her two sons and you take your share.
The duo targeted the trusting mother-of-two, who had previously owned a catering business with her ex-husband before going into rental properties.
She owned two north London properties – the £1.3 million house. in Barnet and a shop with three flats in Willesden.
“In fact you had no assets of your own and no rich girlfriend.”
A friend had introduced her to Al-Jundi, who worked at the Yasmeen Sham Restaurant in Willesden and lived with his mother, wife and children in Harrow.
Al-Jundi convinced her he was wealthy and had financial backers and would buy the properties for £4.6 million, avoiding tax.
Louise Kam from Potters Bar was strangled to death (Image: Met Police)
Later that day, El-Abboud sold Ms Kam’s BMW and used the money to buy new clothes Ms Kam’s body was placed in a bin and on July 28 moved to Wood End Road in Harrow.
The Judge told Al-Jundi: “You plainly told El-Abboud that you would make a significant amount of money from Louise Kam’s death, and that a share of that money was to be El-Abboud’s reward for killing her.
“A woman of 71 who loved and cared for her sons… suffered brutal injuries at your hands and then with complete disregard, you sought to dispose of her remains.”
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