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NRI doc murders beloved
Indian-born Panna Lal Palta, now called Christopher Newman, allegedly murdered his 29-year-old loved, a court heard, writes Nabanita Sircar.
Indian-born Panna Lal Palta, now called Christopher Newman, allegedly murdered his 29-year-old loved, a court heard.
Georgina called her parents in distress on the night she ended up savagely murdered by her older lover. George Eager said his wife urged daughter Georgina, to "run" on the night of the killing at the hands of Newman, a homeopathic doctor.
Newman, 62, of Moby House, Catford, stabbed Miss Eager 21 times at her Dublin home and left a kitchen knife embedded in her neck when she broke off their affair, it is claimed.
Newman prescribes herbal medicines and claims to be a professor of "factology" - a lifestyle discipline he invented. He denies murder but admits manslaughter on the grounds of self-defence, claiming she attacked him. Miss Eager was working at Newman's clinic in Dublin, in the summer of 2002, when they starting having a relationship. He allowed her to help run the business, renting her a flat next door, and even changed his will to leave her all his assets.
But when the passionate relationship turned sour and she threatened to leave him he murdered her, Inner London Crown Court heard this week. Newman prescribed herbal medicines and gave colonic irrigation treatment at the clinic.
Giving evidence, the victim's dad described a series of phone conversations with her on May 22, 2003 - the day she died. Mr Eager said he urged her to take a taxi to the family home in Trudderbridge, south of Dublin. His wife, Sylvia, then called her back. "She told Georgina, 'Come on home'," he said.
On the night of her death, Miss Eager was found under her duvet in her locked bedroom with 21 stab wounds to her upper body. Newman was arrested in London near Westminster Bridge within hours of her death. At first he claimed he could not believe she was dead but later admitted the killing. Miss Eager, the eldest of four sisters, completed a BSc degree in European studies at university in Limerick before working as a make-up artist at Dublin fashion store Brown Thomas. She left in 2002 to work for Newman as a masseur. Newman denies murdering Miss Eager. The trial continues.
