Man murdered both parents because he thought they were 'making his dog poorly'

Sergey Koudriavstev 'obsessed' with pet Neapolitan Mastiff, court hears

Sergey Koudriavstev was jailed for at least 26 years (Metropolitan Police)

A special effects technician who worked on films including Lord of the Rings has been jailed for life for stabbing his parents to death after accusing them of “making his dog poorly”.

Sergey Koudriavstev will serve at least 26 years in prison after admitting the murders of mother Tatiana, 68, and father Vladimir, 69, at their flat in west London.

The 48-year-old called police to confess to the killings in May.

Former university lecturer Mrs Koudriavtseva and her husband were found dead three days later.

The defendant, who has dual Russian and New Zealand nationality, had argued with his parents over the care of his Neapolitan Mastiff, who he was said to be "obsessed" with.

The court heard Koudryavtsev was born in Rostov, Russia, and carved out a successful career in movies after completing a maths degree.

His credits included Blade, Resident Evil, Avatar, District 9 and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.

Prosecutor Anthony Orchard told the Old Bailey Koudryavtsev had called police on 23 May saying he wanted to "surrender himself for murder".

He said he had killed two family members at a flat in Adair Tower, Kensington, and gave his location as the village of Chiddingfold in Surrey.

Surrey Police officers attended and found Koudriavstev sat on a bench in a churchyard, where they arrested him.

Met Police detectives who searched the flat in west London found his mother dead in the bath fully clothed and his father's body in the bedroom.

Mr Orchard said Mrs Koudriavtseva had degrees in chemistry and history of art and had been a university lecturer while Mr Koudriavtsev had a PhD in physics and maths and had been given just weeks to live, having suffered from cancer and strokes.

Their son, who was described as "exceptionally clever" but lacking in social skills, had moved back in with his parents after the breakdown of his marriage.

The court heard he had emigrated to New Zealand in 2002 and worked on visual effects for the Lord of the Rings films before moving back to East Horsley, Surrey with his wife.

While living in New Zealand, the defendant got two dogs called Boris and Nikita. When Boris became ill and had to be put down, he got a Mastiff puppy Enzo.

After Nikita also died, the defendant became "scary" to live with and blamed his wife for the death of his pet, the court heard.

He moved with Enzo back into his parent's home but became "frustrated and angry" with his parents for leaving the window open, causing a draught, while the dog had a tooth infection.

The day before the killings, Mrs Koudriavtseva told a friend that her son had become abusive after two years living with her and obsessed with his dog to the point where she could not open a window in case it got a cold.

The next morning, she called her friend at the pharmacy and said: "I'm scared to go home. I'm terrified what he can do."

Police seized two blades, a hunting knife and a combat knife from Koudriavstev when they arrested him.

In a police interview, the defendant told how he loved Enzo more than his wife and had a strained relationship with his parents, who did not appreciate that dogs were "equal to humans".

He told how he had practised martial arts with knives for the past 17 years and "fantasised" about killing his parents for up to four months.

He said he had taken his hunting knife and grabbed his mother by the head and stabbed her in the neck repeatedly before walking into the bedroom and stabbing his father twice.

Afterwards he said he panicked about Enzo's future and set about finding him a good home, which he refused to reveal to police.

Mr Orchard said: "When asked if it was fair to say he's killed his parents over the dog, he stated that they'd had a difference of opinion and held different values as he never saw humans as more superior."

The court heard Koudryavtsev killed his parents in a fit of "anger and rage".

Judge Nicholas Hilliard, who sentenced him on Friday, said Koudryavtsev's parents' lives "must have been very difficult indeed" in their final weeks.

The judge said: "A friend said the two of them were very much in love and very proud of you and your achievements."

The defendant made no reaction as he was led from the dock.

Detective chief inspector Rob Pack, of the Met Police, said: "This was a very sad case in which an elderly couple have been brutally murdered by their own son. Koudryavtsev's explanation for his acts of parricide is hard to comprehend and I am thankful such incidents are rare.

"This was one of the first cases investigated by one of the Met's new Homicide Teams launched earlier this year and it proved to be both tragic and disturbing."