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A British playboy property developer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years today for murdering a man during a £2 million deal.
Sadistic Thanos Papalexis thought harmless caretaker Charalambos Christodoulides, 55, would stand in the way of the sale.
He was tortured, strangled and hidden in a car inspection pit at his former warehouse home in Kilburn, north London, the Old Bailey heard.
His body was found two weeks later, in March 2000, after the transaction fell through, leaving Papalexis in financial ruin.
Papalexis settled in Florida where he led a millionaire's lifestyle while his business methods were called into question.
Until his arrest last November, he threw lavish parties, hired designer Gianni Versace's former home and held a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton.
Papalexis, 37, was found guilty this month of the murder and remanded in custody. Two alleged henchmen face a retrial.
Papalexis wore a smart blue suit in the dock as Judge Jeremy Roberts told him he had put his career ahead of a life.
He told him: "You are a totally amoral person in the sense that you do not think twice in doing or saying anything which helps you achieve your own ends.
"This was an execution carried out for financial gain. You treated Charalambos as completely expendable."
Papalexis had put his failing property career first when he came under pressure and the chance of "turning a disaster into a spectacular success".
Judge Roberts said Papalexis would have been jailed for 24 years if he killed today.
But he had to sentence him on the basis of the guidelines of 2000 when 20 years would have been the accepted term.
He had killed a man who "literally would not harm a fly" but had probably not planned the killing.
The judge added: "You were the person giving the orders and primarily responsible for what happened.
Mr Christodoulides had been tied up and tortured by men brought to the warehouse by Papalexis.
The judge added "You found yourself with a serious problem. You decided to take a life of a harmless and innocent human being.
"You must have realised what happened, if it became known, would have scuppered the deal. He could not be allowed to live to tell."
Papalexis had been trying to buy the warehouse from Mr Christodoulides's brother-in-law Michael Lanitis.
But he was short of money and planned to sell it "back-to-back" for a profit before he was forced to pay the £2 million to Mr Lanitis.
He had been under pressure because his lack of experience had landed him in debt at a previous development and he needed the money to avoid financial ruin.
Mr Christodoulides, known as Charles or Bambi to his family, had lived in the warehouse since suffering an accident many years before.
The family said he would move out when needed but the prosecution said Papalexis had decided he was a problem which needed sorting.
Mr Christodoulides's sister Anna, 60, told the judge in a statement that she could never forgive Papalexis.
She said: "I truly believe he is like a devil for what he has done.
"Regardless of the length of sentence given to Papalexis it will never justify how a multi-millionaire playboy can put the value of money over and above the life of my innocent, harmless brother.
"No amount of years will allow me to accept the senseless act resulting in the murder of my much-loved brother.
"Charles was a quiet man, going about his own simple life, harming nobody. Nobody deserves to die in such truly dreadful circumstances."
Reader views (1)
I cant understand people who having made a huge amount of money continue to chase after more instead of retiring and enjoying the money they have made. Hope he is being made to pay for his upkeep in prison
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK, 30/09/2009 21:37
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