A man has been charged with murder after a woman he is alleged to have contacted online was found strangled at her home in north-west London.
Miles Donnelly, 34, also known as Miles Ryan, is due to appear on Monday at West Hendon magistrates court.
The body of Usha Patel, 44, was discovered at the flat she shared with her young son in Cricklewood, north-west London, on Thursday.
A postmortem examination found Patel died from strangulation, a Metropolitan police spokesman said.
Patel cared for her son, whom neighbours said was aged five and autistic. They said he was seen holding the hand of a police community support officer at the property after the police were called.
Neighbours expressed shock at the death and paid tribute to Patel.
Sali Aboudali, 42, said her child went to school with Patel’s son, who would spend weekends with his father. “She was a very nice lady,” she said. “She was very friendly. All the neighbours listened to her singing. Her son depended on her for everything. She said he had autism.”
A man who lives in the flat below said: “[She was] very jolly and bubbly. She had a happy look about her. She had a boy about six or seven years old living with her. He had autism. A few days ago I saw her son and he knocked on the window and waved at me.”
Neighbours said Patel had lived at her home in Melrose Avenue for about nine years.
