Life sentence handed down over 2024 Ealing murder

Alvin Gitahi has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of Vivienne Baraka in Ealing. A judge at Southwark Crown Court imposed the sentence on Friday 23 October. Gitahi must serve a minimum of 21 years and three months before he can be considered for release.

The sentence is the latest court outcome in a case arising from Ms Baraka’s death on 26 March 2024. She was 35. The killing took place at a home in Riverside Close, Ealing, after concerns had been raised for her welfare. Officers and paramedics attended that afternoon, but Ms Baraka was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gitahi, 43, was found guilty of murder at Southwark Crown Court on 6 August. The life sentence now sets the custodial outcome of the case. The court stated that he must serve a minimum of 21 years and three months.

The enquiries were based on more than one strand of evidence. Investigators took electronic devices from the property and reviewed messages between Ms Baraka and Gitahi. They also considered telephone records and witness accounts. Neighbours reported hearing Ms Baraka screaming before officers arrived. Taken together, the material identified a pattern of abusive behaviour before her death.

The investigation followed concerns raised about Ms Baraka’s welfare. It brought together digital material, telephone records and accounts from people who lived nearby. That wider evidence base was examined before the case reached court.

Gitahi was arrested at the address on the day Ms Baraka died and was charged with murder on 8 October 2025. The guilty verdict followed on 6 August 2026, before the sentencing hearing on 23 October. The sequence matters because it distinguishes the historic killing from the current development: the life sentence, rather than a newly reported death, is the news from the case.

These details are relevant to the court outcome, but they do not need to be repeated in graphic terms. The central fact is that Gitahi has been convicted of murder and sentenced by the court. The conviction was returned in August and the sentence was imposed this month.

Ms Baraka’s death occurred more than two years before the sentencing. The passage of time does not lessen the loss for those who knew her, and the court result cannot undo it. It does, however, bring the criminal proceedings to a significant stage, with a life sentence and a stated minimum term now in place.

The case also underlines why concerns about a person’s immediate safety should be taken seriously. Ms Baraka had expressed fear before her death, while the subsequent investigation identified repeated abusive behaviour. Anyone who believes that they or someone else faces immediate danger should contact the emergency services. Other specialist support services can also offer confidential help to people affected by domestic abuse.

For Ealing, the sentencing is a formal conclusion to the prosecution of a 2024 killing. It is not a newly reported death. The current development is the sentence passed at Southwark Crown Court: life imprisonment for Gitahi, with a minimum term of 21 years and three months.