Police treating death of woman and her partner at tattoo shop as suspicious

Catalin Micu, 54, and Ramona Stoia, 35 named locally as people found dead at shop in Canterbury

A man and a woman have been found dead in a GothInk Studio tattoo shop in Canterbury (KMG / SWNS)

Police are treating the death of a woman who was found dead alongside her partner at their tattoo studio as suspicious.

Catalin Micu, 54, and Ramona Stoia, 35, were named locally as the man and woman found dead in the parlour in Canterbury, Kent, at around 5.20 pm on Monday evening.

The experienced tattoo artists, who have a son together, are Romanian nationals who had lived in the city for a number of years.

They were said to have been pronounced dead at the GothInk Studio at about 5.20 pm after two people had been “found injured”, Kent Police said.

This afternoon Kent Police confirmed only the death of the 35-year-old woman is currently being treated as suspicious, but officers are not currently looking for any other suspects.

A large emergency response - including firearms officers - was sent to the scene, with the ring road shut off plus police and ambulance vehicles lining the busy main road outside.

Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are investigating the deaths, the force said earlier today. A Kent Police spokesman added: “At 5.19 pm on Monday, 11 April 2022, officers attended an address in Lower Bridge Street, Canterbury, where a man and a woman, who were known to each other, were pronounced deceased at the scene.

“Following enquiries by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, the death of the 54-year-old man is not being treated as suspicious.

“The death of the 35-year-old woman is currently being treated as suspicious, however officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.

“The next of kin of both parties have been informed and enquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing with a view to providing a full report to the coroner.

“Anyone who has any concerns or information regarding the incident is asked to contact Kent Police.”