MURDER: Senthooran Kanagasingham [left] jailed for manslaughter of Sonia Burgess
A MAN who pushed his friend in front of a train at King’s Cross station has been sentenced to life in prison.
Senthooran Kanagasingham, 35, admitted to killing Sonia Burgess, 63, after throwing her off a platform during at the busy central London station in October last year.
Kanagasingham, who was undergoing a sex change treatment during the time of the killing, was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, when it was found that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
The court heard that the pair, who were both transgender women, had met in 2009 and had quickly become friends.
It was also revealed that Burgess, a human rights lawyer, had become concerned with the mental health of Kanagasingham right before her death.
A statement from Burgess' family read: “Regardless of the verdict, the loss of Sonia is still felt deeply by us, the family, and all of Sonia's beloved friends. We will always be honoured and privileged to have been a part of Sonia's life.
It continued: “With regards to Senthooran Kanagasingham, we hope that he receives any help he needs; this is what Sonia would have wanted and was indeed what she was trying to help him find.
“Sonia was truly an inspiration and even in death her lesson to love and put others before one's self continues to shine through and will not be forgotten.”