A WORLE man who strangled his neighbour and tried to throw police off the scent by faking letters from ‘witnesses’ has today been jailed for life.

James Citro was found guilty in October of the murder and sexual assault of Lithuanian maid Nijole Siskeviciene in London in 1998.

His sentencing today at the Old Bailey in London brings to an end a police operation that lasted 13 years since the 44-year-old Ms Siskeviciene’s body was found 200 yards from her Wembley home.

She had been restrained by the wrists and throat, while forensic evidence showed the attack had been sexually motivated.

When 54-year-old Citro, of Lyddon Road, spoke to police after the discovery of her body, he denied ever having met Ms Siskeviciene.

He also wrote two anonymous letters to the police from alleged ‘witnesses’ which claimed to have seen two black men carrying her body from her home.

The evidence was accepted as credible by police investigators, and police were thwarted in their efforts to find the killer for 12 years.

But in 2010 Citro was arrested in Somerset for an unrelated offence, and a DNA sample taken from him matched one taken from Ms Siskeviciene’s body.

In January he was charged with her murder, and found guilty on October 31.

Citro was sentenced by Judge David Paget at the Old Bailey in London today to a minimum of 20 years in jail.

Police are appealing for any other people who have been assaulted by James Citro to contact them on 020 87334603.