Millionaire New York businessman admits strangling his British girlfriend to death in hotel after they met on Muslim dating site

A MILLIONAIRE New York businessman today dramatically confessed to murder a young British woman in a hotel room after meeting her on a dating site.

Property tycoon Sammy Almahri, 44, is facing life in jail after changing his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial for killing Nadine Aburas, 28.

Pretty Nadine Aburas, 28, was found dead by hotel staff on New Year's Eve - hours after Almahri allegedly fled abroad.

A court yesterday  heard how the 44-year-old New York businessman put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door at Future Inns before taking Nadine's car to drive to Heathrow Airport.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, claiming he was suffering from "abnormality of mental function" and was hearing "the voice of God" telling him to kill Nadine.

But his trial was halted at Cardiff Crown Court today when he suddenly admitted the murder.

Nadine, who lived alone in her own flat in Cardiff Bay, met Almahri on an internet dating site called MuslimMatch.com.

The pair had a two year romance travelling between UK and New York at least three times.

Prosecutor Roger Thomas said: "They became friendly and contacted each other regularly by telephone, text and Skype.

"The friendship developed. It's clear Almahri visited Nadine two or three times in 2013 and she travelled to New York to see him in the summer of 2014."

The court heard that Almahri became "besotted" by Nadine - showering her with money and expensive presents.

Mr Thomas said: "He paid for mobile phones and a car. She was living off jobseekers allowance.

"There's no doubt the financial benefits were attractive to her."

But, the relationship turned sinister after 5ft 3ins Nadine returned to her Cardiff home with a busted lip.

Almahri became "increasingly jealous" then began bombarding her with abusive messages.

The court heard he warned her: "You will be in hell."

He discovered she had seen another man and sent her messages calling her a "hooker" and a "whore", the court was told.

The court heard he also contacted one of Nadine's brother Jamal on Facebook to threaten to send him pictures of his sister.

He also sent her a phone message of her naked saying: "I am going to post these around a Facebook you hoe." The court heard the message seen by another brother Aman.

The court heard that Almahri had topless photographs of Nadine, which may have been taken "against her wishes" during an online Skype conversation.

The court heard that Nadine had called police to say she had been raped by Almahri in New York - and claimed he had also attempted to strangle her.

Jurors heard how Almahri travelled from the US and booked into the Future Inns hotel near her home on December 30, 2014.

After drinking nine tequilas in the bar, Nadine arrived at the hotel and the pair later went to the Lilo Grillhouse - where restaurant staff described them as shouting and arguing during a 50-minute stay.

CCTV footage then showed the couple returning to the hotel at around 11.10pm - which Mr Thomas said was the last time Nadine was seen alive.

Shortly after 3am, he left the hotel and travelled in her car to Heathrow where he was booked on a 10.35am flight to Doha in Qata.

Nadine's body was found at around 12.20pm on New Year's Eve by the duty manager and police were called in.

The court heard Almahri was eventually located in Tanzania and arrested on an Interpol arrest warrant on January 19 before being returned to Britain.

He originally tried to pretend Nadine had killed herself and that he had assisted her suicide, jurors were told.

A note found in the room was addressed to Almahri and began "Sorry, have come to an end, I love you" - and was signed "Nadine".

Mr Thomas said: "In various conversations in the next few days, he suggested Nadine committed suicide and he said he helped her because she effectively couldn't live without him.

"He was seeking to establish Nadine hadn't been killed but he had assisted her suicide."

The prosecutor said Almahri claimed he had had sex with Nadine before she asked him to put his belt around her neck.

He said she told him she loved him before hanging herself with the belt.

The prosecution rejected Almahri's version of events and today he changed his plea to guilty.

Mr Thomas had previously said: ";We submit quite simply this was the killing of a defenceless woman by a jealous and dangerous man."

Almarhi was remanded in custody and is expected to be sentenced next month.

After the hearing, Nadine's mother Andrea Aburas said: "Justice has been done for Nadine.

"We wish to thank everyone who has assisted us in this tragic period in our lives.

"I ask now that we are given time to breath and remember our beautiful girl."

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