John Apelgren

John Apelgren, an 80-year-old man from south London, has been found guilty of the manslaughter of 22-year-old Eileen Cotter, a sex worker in north London, nearly 50 years after her death. The conviction came after a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, where DNA evidence linked Apelgren to the crime. Eileen Cotter was discovered strangled in Hamilton Park, Highbury, on 1 June 1974, with a pathologist determining the cause of death as manual strangulation. She also suffered a black eye and bruising to her neck and face.

Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told the jury that Apelgren, who was 31 at the time, had sexual relations with Ms Cotter before pushing her out of a car, leading to her death. 'Her body was discovered in the position it fell, without shoes, and with her tights and underwear still around her right leg,' Healy stated in court. The case had remained unsolved for decades until it was reopened in 2012 due to advances in DNA profiling. Original samples from 1974 were re-examined, but the initial prime suspect did not match. The breakthrough occurred in February 2019 when Apelgren was cautioned for assaulting his wife, providing his DNA to police for the first time. Samples from two places on Ms Cotter's body matched Apelgren's DNA with a billion-to-one probability.

In addition to the manslaughter conviction, Apelgren was found guilty of indecent assault committed on 14 October 1972. The court heard that two years before killing Ms Cotter, Apelgren indecently assaulted an 18-year-old guest at his own wedding reception. The victim had kept the incident secret out of fear of being blamed. During police interviews in 2019, Apelgren denied knowing Ms Cotter but admitted to having sexual relations with other women during his marriage. Evidence also emerged that he had mistreated his wife, including applying force to her neck with both hands on one occasion.

Apelgren did not give evidence in his defence. The jury acquitted him of murder but convicted him on the manslaughter and indecent assault charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 23 June at the Old Bailey. The investigation was led by the Metropolitan Police, who utilised modern forensic techniques to solve this long-standing cold case.