Man sentenced to life for murdering “kind, loyal and selfless” partner

A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after murdering his partner in a flat they shared in Scunthorpe.

As previously reported, Rojs Avaliani of Tamar Walk in Scunthorpe entered a not guilty plea at the start of the trial on Monday, October 1 after it was alleged he had strangled 61-year-old Tamara Sinakova on the evening of January 4 into the early hours of January 5.

A jury returned a guilty verdict on Tuesday afternoon after a seven-day trial at Hull Crown Court before Rojs Avaliani was sentenced this morning (October 10) to serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars.

Rojs Avaliani, 37, will serve a minimum of 17 years in prsion after being convicted of the murder of his partner 61-year-old Tamara Sinakova. Photo: Humberside Police

Children of murder victim issue heartfelt tribute

“Losing our mum has been extremely painful and traumatic for us, especially given the nature of her murder. We had to sit patiently and quietly through the trial, listening to this man tainting mum’s memory with his accusations and lies. It has been beyond mortifying to hear the lies he has told in the courtroom to try and paint our mum in a bad light, and to justify his killing of her.

“We are relieved that justice has been served, and he will live the rest of his life with the title he deserves – a cold blooded murderer, incapable of remorse.

“We would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about the woman we knew all our lives. And this woman is nothing like this man has been describing.

“Our mum was the kindest, loyal and selfless person we knew. She would always put herself last if someone needed help. She came to the UK to give us, her children, better prospects for the future, and she has been working very hard ever since.

“For the last 14 years she worked for every penny she had, she built a life for herself, and enjoyed her work and friends. She had many friends in Scunthorpe, all of whom would vouch for the fact that she was not some incompetent drunk, who was drinking for years and years, and was falling down everywhere causing herself serious injuries.

“Whilst she did drink, and in particular in the last six months of her life, she was also someone who enjoyed travel, enjoyed working, and enjoyed spending time with her family. Unfortunately, she was also very lonely since we left for universities, and Rojs preyed on this vulnerability and took advantage of her for many years.

Murder victim Tamara Sinakova. Photo: Humberside Police

“Rojs had the audacity to sit in the courtroom and lie. Lie that he never assaulted her. Lie that he wasn’t responsible for her death. Lie that he cared about her soul, and yet left her dead body on the cold floor, in indecent condition, while he brought strangers round for drinking. The way he behaved since this tragedy speaks louder than any of his or our words.

“We would like to thank the witnesses who came forward and gave evidence against him, in particular the man who did the right thing and alerted the police to what has happened. We would also like to thank the police for their sympathetic and very kind approach to helping us through this tough time, and to the Crown Prosecution Service for doing an outstanding job in presenting the evidence for his crime.

“Nothing will bring our mum back, but we hope that he is kept away from society for as long as possible, as he is clearly a danger to those around him, in particular some of the more vulnerable people in the society. We also hope and pray that time away will allow him to comprehend what he has done, and rehabilitate him into someone who can be held accountable for his actions.”