He killed his own baby son after getting jealous of the attention he was getting

Denis Beytula was a controlling and jealous brute who murdered his own baby son because the tot was getting more attention from his mother than he was

In a jealous rage, Denis Beytula murdered his own newborn son and stabbed his partner because he envied the attention his baby was getting. Five years ago today, Tyneside witnessed one of the North East's most horrifying crimes, with Beytula fatally stabbing his three-week-old baby, Andrei, as he lay asleep in his cot.

The 27-year-old then went on to use the knife on his partner and Andrei's mum, Andreea Stefan, in a lethal fit of anger at their home in Howdon, Wallsend. Andreea survived but was left mourning the loss of her son who died in hospital four days after the attack.

After pleading guilty to murder and attempted murder, Beytula was jailed for life. Today, on the fifth anniversary of the horrifying crimes, we take a look back at the sickening motive behind it.

READ MORE: 19-year-old in hospital with serious injuries after suspected hit and run

READ MORE: £10,000 reward to find man wanted in connection with attempted murder in Cardiff

To many Beytula may have seemed like a normal partner and an excited expectant parent but behind the doors of his Wallsend home, that was far from the truth. The controlling and manipulative man became jealous when his son began to take the attention of his mum as a newborn.

In October 2019, his anger turned fatal as he committed his heinous crimes. After rowing over where Andreea would get her hair done, the new dad grabbed the kitchen knife and stabbed the sleeping baby and then turned the knife on Andreea.

Newcastle Crown Court heard of Beytula's resentment towards his son, which became clear soon after he was brought into the world. Prosecutor Nick Dry talked of how Beytula “showed a lack of interest and even detachment from his son”, and “that lack of fatherly love and affection set the tone for his son’s brief life”.

The court heard that the night before the murder, Beytula had threatened his partner with a knife after sexual contact with her was interrupted as she tended to their crying baby. The following day he came home in a violent rage, threatening to kill himself but instead using the knife on their three-week-old and then stabbing Andreea repeatedly.

Beytula, a takeaway worker at the time, left the flat and called 999 where he confessed to his crimes. After the killer was sentenced, the chilling 999 audio was released where Beytula's lack of remorse was evident as he said: "I just killed my baby and my wife."

Police officers' body-worn cameras show Beytula with blood on his hands, calmly directing officers to the crime scene. He then replied "I don't know" after officers asked if his partner was still alive.

READ MORE: 'Serial abuser of women' throttled ex-partner to the point she could not breathe

READ MORE: Drugs runner found with crack cocaine in flat known as 'Legoland'

After the killer was given a minimum of 23 years jail sentence, the detective that brought him to justice says he believed Beytula was the most evil killer he had ever encountered. Detective inspector Graeme Dodds of Northumbria Police said: “He was jealous of his own son. He killed his own son and tried to take the life of his partner, the mother of his child, all because he was jealous. He was jealous of his son because Andreea loved him and he was jealous she loved someone more than him.

“I have been a police officer for 20 years, and not only is this the worst case I have had to investigate, but I would say he is the worst offender I have come across. To take the life of a three-week old baby, in his own cot in his own home where he should have been safe makes him the worst individual I have had to investigate.”

Andreea, who managed a Domino's Pizza branch, met Beytula through work colleagues and started a relationship with him in August 2018. The court learnt of Beytula's obsession with her, marked by jealousy and insecurity throughout their time together.

He demanded access to her phone and criticised her for having male friends on Facebook. When Andreea was looking to go to a work awards in London, Beytula wouldn't let her attend.

Beytula responded with increasing anger and insecurity when her interest in intimacy waned when she became pregnant, even taking back gifts he had given her, the court heard. Yet Beytula was so manipulative that his dangerous nature remained unseen until it tragically became too late. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here

While waiteing for their child's birth, Beytula curated an image of an eager father-to-be to outsiders, masking the grim reality of his control over Andreea within their home. Following the conviction of her son's killer, Andreea issued a statement detailing the mental coercion by Beytula.

She stated: "I have spent every second of my life since that day looking for reasons that could have made the outcome different. I have blamed myself for not breaking up with Denis earlier but only those who have been in a controlling relationship will understand why I stayed.

"He made me feel like I could not find anyone better and that nobody else could be a father to our son. He manipulated me and said everything he did was for love. But now I know that what he had for me was not love. Love doesn't try to control you, love doesn't threaten you and love doesn't kill babies."

Join the WalesOnline WhatsApp community

WalesOnline has launched a new breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. From the biggest court stories to the latest traffic updates, weather warnings and breaking news, it's a simple way to stay up to date with what's happening in Wales.

Want to join? All you have to do is click on this link, select 'Join Community' and you're in. We will not spam your feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily.

If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. We occasionally treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can read our Privacy Notice here.

Join our WhatsApp community here.