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Murder at the Office _ Scotland Yard Confidential _ Radio Drama · The Empire of Wealth

0:04
Speaker 1: On the evening of Saturday, January the 13th, 2007, Simon
0:08
Edwards and Rachel Warren enter an office building in South London,
0:12
where the market research company Research Now is headquartered. They're
0:17
looking for their friend, Cathy Marlowe, a finance manager at
0:21
the firm. Originally from New Zealand, 28-year-old Cathy had gone
0:25
into the office that morning to catch up on a
0:27
backlog of work. But her friends haven't heard from her
0:30
for hours.
0:32
Speaker 2: Rachel. is Kathy's flatmate.
0:35
Speaker 1: They had arranged to meet at two, but Kathy didn't
0:37
show up, despite calling to confirm at around 1.30. At first,
0:43
Rachel thought that maybe the pile of work had turned
0:46
out to be bigger than Kathy anticipated. She probably had
0:49
her head down and was trying to get through it
0:51
all as quickly as possible. So she decided not to
0:54
pester her friend. Still, it was odd that Kathy hadn't
0:58
texted her to let her know she was going to
1:00
be late, or even to cancel. It definitely wasn't like
1:04
Kathy to just stand her up like that. As the
1:08
time dragged on, Rachel became anxious. She tried calling Kathy,
1:12
but she wasn't picking up. Rachel then messaged and rang
1:17
round other friends to see if they'd heard from Kathy.
1:20
Speaker 2: No one had.
1:22
Speaker 1: Throughout the course of the afternoon, Rachel grew increasingly fearful.
1:26
What if Kathy had had some kind of accident? The
1:30
friends she spoke to tried to reassure her. Sensing her panic,
1:34
they offered to help her look for Cathy. It was
1:37
decided to search the streets between the meeting place and
1:40
Cathy's work. Rachel even called in at a cafe that
1:44
she knew Cathy frequented. After several frantic hours, there was
1:49
still no sign of Cathy. Eventually, Rachel got hold of
1:54
Simon Edwards, Cathy's colleague at Research Now. He agreed to
1:59
let her into the office. where Kathy was the last
2:02
time she had heard from her. As the pair walk in,
2:10
they are met by a shocking scene. The floor of
2:14
the reception area is pooled with blood. Blood is spattered
2:19
on the walls, too. Trails of it lead away down
2:22
the corridor, as if something, or someone, has been dragged
2:27
along the floor. The drag mucks lead towards a shower
2:31
room in which they can hear water running. They call
2:35
out Cathy's name, but there's no answer. Edwards gestures to
2:39
Rachel to stay where she is while he goes to investigate. There,
2:48
lying across the bottom of the shower cubicle, is a
2:51
fully clothed body. Edwards can see it's a woman, but
2:57
he can't be sure it's Cathy. Her clothing has been
2:59
pulled up to cover her face. Maybe you shouldn't do it.
3:03
Maybe you shouldn't touch anything. But he has to know.
3:08
He pulls the jacket down. He lets out a deep
3:12
gasp of shock. His worst fears confirmed.
3:17
Speaker 2: It is her.
3:19
Speaker 1: A pink scarf is wrapped around her neck. Her expression
3:22
is fixed. Her body unmoving. It's obvious that she is dead. Obvious, too,
3:31
that someone has killed her. It's time to call the police.
3:42
I'm John Hopkins and welcome to Scotland Yard Confidential. The
3:46
show where we delve into the files of London's legendary
3:49
criminal investigation department. You'll be right there alongside investigators as
3:54
they search for clues, interrogate suspects and sort the truth.
3:59
from the lies there will be twists and turns along
4:02
the way sometimes a trail will run cold sometimes it
4:06
will be a race against time we'll rub shoulders with
4:09
notorious gangsters sit down with informants and come face to
4:13
face with cold-blooded murderers as we follow in the footsteps
4:18
of some of the greatest detectives in history The case
4:46
falls to senior homicide investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Damien Allain
4:51
of Scotland Yard. Allain has 20 years' experience as a copper.
4:56
Like all British police officers, even plainclothes detectives, he started
5:01
out as a uniformed bobby. He learnt the job the
5:04
hard way, pounding the beat, responding to call-outs, confronting violent offenders.
5:11
Speaker 2: He's had to talk down people on the edge. pick
5:14
up the.
5:14
Speaker 1: Pieces after drug overdoses and break the worst kind of
5:18
news to the families of murder victims. Now he wears
5:23
a tailored suit instead of a blue uniform. He's added
5:27
specialised training in homicide detection to the broad policing skills
5:31
he picked up over the years. And he's moved up
5:33
the ranks from constable to chief inspector. But for him,
5:39
the essentials of the job.
5:41
Speaker 2: Remain the same.
5:42
Speaker 1: To put the villains away and make the streets a
5:45
little safer. Before he goes into any crime scene, DCI
5:55
Alain always pauses to prepare himself mentally for what he's
5:58
about to see. It's a moment of calm when he
6:02
tries to clear his mind so that he can take
6:05
in any details that might turn out to be significant.
6:09
There's an emotional aspect to it too, No matter how
6:12
experienced you are, being confronted by the aftermath of violent,
6:17
sudden death never gets any easier. DCI Elaine is not
6:22
immune to the horror that confronts him when he enters
6:26
the Research Now reception. There is so much blood on
6:29
the floor and walls. It's clear that there was a sustained,
6:35
violent struggle. DCI Elaine follows the bloody drag marks to
6:40
the shower room. He takes in the scarf around Kathy's neck. Naturally,
6:45
they will have to wait for the post-mortem to know
6:47
the cause of death for sure, but the livid bruises
6:50
around her throat suggest strangulation, while the multiple wounds on
6:55
her head indicate a savage attack. Elaine inhales deeply and
7:02
detects the distinctive odor of bleach. There are signs that
7:05
someone has tried to clean up the evidence, but there's
7:08
just too much blood to wash away. It's Elaine's job
7:13
now to make the difficult judgment calls. How to allocate resources,
7:18
how to gather evidence, who to interview, and even when to.
7:23
Speaker 2: Arrest a suspect.
7:25
Speaker 1: To help him build up a picture of what happened,
7:28
DCI Elaine talks to the officers who were first on
7:30
the scene. He's not surprised to learn that there are
7:33
no eyewitnesses to the attack. That would be too easy.
7:40
DCI Elaine's first... and biggest challenge is to secure the
7:44
crime scene. The reason this is such a challenge is because,
7:49
to put it simply, the area is so big. It
7:53
extends over a three-story building that houses multiple firms and offices.
7:59
Kathy's killer could have gone into, or come from, anywhere
8:03
inside it. DCI Alain takes a decision that is not
8:09
going to be popular with the bosses of any of
8:11
the companies in the building. To prevent contamination of valuable evidence,
8:16
he orders the building to be closed down and the
8:19
businesses moved out. When the anxious business owners ask him
8:24
how long this is going to take, he gives an
8:26
uncompromising answer. Three months. DCI Alain knows how hard it
8:33
is to gather forensic evidence, even from a small, relatively
8:37
contained crime scene. A crime scene of this scale just
8:41
multiplies the difficulties. For him, finding Kathy Marlowe's killer is
8:48
more important than any commercial interests. He installs an army
8:54
of around 100 specialist examiners, including fingerprint experts, DNA experts,
9:00
blood pattern analysts, crime scene managers and photographers. Initial inquiries
9:06
reveal that there are no CCTV cameras inside the building.
9:10
There are plenty of cameras in the surrounding streets, however,
9:13
but going through the thousands of hours of footage they
9:15
have recorded will tire all his resources indefinitely. Until they
9:21
have a better idea of what they're looking for, Alain
9:23
decides it's a waste of time. Like looking for a
9:27
needle in a haystack, only harder. In the meantime, Alain
9:32
is told that they already have a suspect in police custody.
9:37
Simon Edward. DCI Elaine was not involved in his arrest.
9:43
It happened before he took over the case. He's not
9:46
wholly convinced that his fellow officers have got it right,
9:49
despite the fact that Edwards is not able to provide
9:52
an alibi for the afternoon of Kathy Marlowe's murder. Yes,
9:57
the perpetrator may be one of Kathy's colleagues, in other words,
10:00
someone she knew who also has access to the office.
10:04
Speaker 2: Edwards ticks both those boxes.
10:07
Speaker 1: But it may equally be an outsider whom Kathy interrupted
10:11
while they were carrying out a burglary. In the early
10:15
stages of an investigation, DCI Elaine's preferred method is to
10:19
keep an open mind. As far as he's concerned, they
10:22
just don't have enough evidence yet to arrest anyone. The
10:26
post-mortem hasn't been completed, and they haven't even been able
10:29
to construct a working hypothesis of what might have happened.
10:36
Elaine talks to the arresting officers to better understand why
10:40
they have targeted Edwards. Their response doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
10:45
They reveal that the chief reason they arrested Edwards... is
10:49
that they had considered him to be over-helpful in his
10:52
interactions with the officers at the scene.
10:55
Speaker 2: For some reason, this aroused their suspicions.
10:59
Speaker 1: They also cite the fact that he knew where the
11:01
body was and led them straight to it. However, it's
11:05
clear to anyone that you don't have to be the
11:07
murderer to be able to follow the bloody trail to
11:09
the shower room. But their basic reasoning is not as
11:14
far-fetched as it might sound. There have been cases of
11:17
murderers coming forward to help the police. For example, joining
11:21
in searches to find children they themselves have abducted. Possibly
11:26
they see it as a way of diverting suspicion. It
11:29
also enables them to get close to the investigation so
11:32
they can gain police officers' confidence and pick up useful information.
11:37
Many get a perverted thrill out of it too. But
11:42
DCI Elaine thinks there may be a more straightforward explanation
11:46
of why Edwards' behavior seemed odd to the officers.
11:50
Speaker 2: Perhaps he was simply in shock.
11:54
Speaker 1: In the absence of real evidence, Elaine's instinct and experience
11:58
are telling him that the officers who arrested Edwards have
12:00
got it wrong.
12:02
Speaker 2: When he talks to Edwards, he's even more convinced.
12:06
Speaker 1: The man is clearly devastated by his friend's death and
12:09
the circumstances in which he found her. The appalling shock
12:13
of the experience is written all over him. He apologises
12:17
to Simon Edwards for what he has been through and
12:20
eliminates him from the inquiry. Edwards is surprisingly understanding and
12:26
accepts that the police were just doing their job. Like
12:30
all of Cathy's friends, he just wants them to catch
12:33
her murderer. Releasing a suspect is one of the big
12:43
calls that an officer in charge has to make. In
12:46
many ways, it's an even bigger call than making an arrest,
12:49
because if you get it wrong and mistakenly set free
12:52
a killer, they may go on to kill again. But
12:56
DCI Alain is soon vindicated in his decision. A few
13:01
days into the investigation, he's able to construct a working
13:04
hypothesis of the crime. The spatter analysis confirms his initial impressions.
13:11
This was a frenzied attack, prolonged and brutal. It's more
13:15
than likely that the perpetrator was also injured as Kathy
13:19
desperately fought back against her attacker. The fact is, Simon
13:24
Edwards had not sustained any of the injuries you might
13:27
expect in such a confrontation. In addition, the police are
13:31
informed by the management of Research Now that several laptops
13:35
have gone missing. It now looks likely that Kathy interrupted
13:39
an intruder or intruders as they were engaged in a robbery.
13:45
But what could their possible motive be for killing her,
13:48
especially in such a savage manner?
13:51
Speaker 2: It just doesn't add up.
13:53
Speaker 1: Why would you bludgeon to death someone who catches you
13:55
stealing a few laptops? It's a huge escalation of the offense,
14:00
taking it from a fairly minor robbery to the worst
14:03
kind of murder. The stakes for the perpetrator are just
14:07
not high enough to justify this level of violence. DCI
14:12
Elaine says, knows that most professional burglars prefer to avoid
14:16
trouble if they can. It's all about balancing risk and reward.
14:21
They're far more likely to ditch their stolen goods and
14:24
make a quick getaway. Staying to fight will only increase
14:28
the chances of getting caught. It's just not worth it.
14:32
Elaine tries to make sense of the apparent inconsistency, the
14:36
extreme frenzy of the attack versus the relatively low value
14:40
of the prize. It suggests someone out of control. Someone
14:45
who has lost perspective. Kathy Marlow was a slightly built
14:53
woman of five foot two. If she had challenged the intruder,
14:57
it would have been an easy matter for them to
14:59
push past her, perhaps leaving her sprawled on the floor
15:03
and bruised. But there was absolutely no need, no reason,
15:08
to do this. DCI Elaine starts to build a picture
15:13
of Kathy's attacker. What he sees more clearly than anything
15:18
is rage. He imagines someone, most likely a man, lashing
15:23
out in rage and frustration as he is prevented from
15:27
taking the items that he had planned on stealing, that
15:31
he felt entitled to steal. But something is nagging Alain.
15:38
Why would Kathy challenge an intruder in the first place?
15:43
Is it possible that she knew the individual after all?
15:46
For now, Elaine can't be sure. But just asking the
15:51
question raises the possibility. And it might explain why the
15:56
laptop thief thought it necessary to kill her. For DCI Elaine,
16:06
working a case like this is a methodical process. it's
16:10
important to stick to tried and tested police procedures and
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not get overwhelmed by everything they don't know. Initially, his
16:20
team focuses on Kathy's friends and colleagues, taking statements and
16:24
checking alibis. It's as much an exercise in eliminating the
16:28
innocent as implicating the guilty. So Elaine is neither surprised
16:33
nor disappointed when it doesn't lead anywhere. This is how
16:38
old school policing works. The next task is to recreate
16:44
Kathy's movements on the day she was murdered. Elaine knows
16:47
from a flatmate that she left the flat at nine
16:50
that morning. He also learns that Kathy was in the
16:52
habit of calling in every day at a particular cafe
16:56
for her morning coffee. For now, DCI Elaine has ruled
17:01
out using street CCTV. Even so, he decides it's worth
17:05
looking at the coffee shop's own footage for that morning.
17:09
Perhaps Kathy had an encounter with someone there. It's possible
17:13
her murderer could have picked her out in the cafe
17:15
and followed her to work. There's no evidence of this,
17:21
but the footage does reveal something interesting. At the cafe,
17:25
Kathy clearly had a handbag over her shoulder, and yet
17:29
the forensic specialists who have meticulously combed the crime scene
17:33
have not been able to locate it. The conclusion must
17:37
be that the perpetrator took it away with them. Scotland
17:42
Yard releases a description of the handbag. It's brown leather,
17:46
about 10 inches by 10 inches, with a flap over
17:48
the top, fastened by a large silver buckle. DCI Elaine
17:53
instructs one of his team to contact Cathy's bank. In particular,
17:58
he wants to know if anyone tried to use her
18:00
credit or debit cards after her death.
18:04
Speaker 2: The answer is yes. is the first major breakthrough of
18:09
the case.
18:11
Speaker 1: Every ATM is fitted with CCTV, so the bank is
18:15
able to provide DCI Elaine with an image of the
18:18
man who was attempting to take money from Cathy's account.
18:22
Elaine circulates the image via the police's internal communications network.
18:28
Speaker 2: Now, it's a waiting game. One that may or may
18:33
not produce results.
18:38
Speaker 1: As it turns out, Elaine doesn't have to wait very long.
18:42
Two separate officers contact him almost immediately, both naming the
18:46
individual as one Daniel Kennedy. Kennedy's name has not come
18:51
up in the investigation so far. In other words, he
18:55
is not known to be a friend or colleague of Kathy's.
19:00
DCI Elaine immediately consults the police database and discovers that
19:04
Kennedy is a known criminal with previous convictions for petty theft.
19:08
Speaker 2: A small-time crook, in other words.
19:10
Speaker 1: Elaine knows it's a big leap from petty theft to murder,
19:14
and there's nothing in Kennedy's record that indicates violence. But still,
19:19
they do have him on camera, trying to use Kathy's
19:21
bank card. At the very least, Kennedy has some questions
19:26
to answer. The first one being, did you kill Kathy Marlowe?
19:34
DCI Elaine digs a little deeper. and discovers that Kennedy
19:38
is due to make a court appearance that very day.
19:41
It's quite a coincidence, which happens to be extremely helpful
19:44
to the investigation. Now, Elaine knows exactly where Kennedy will
19:49
be at a given time.
19:50
Speaker 2: Time.
19:53
Speaker 1: DCI Elaine dispatches officers to make an arrest. Daniel Kennedy
19:58
appears genuinely surprised when the officers confront him on his
20:01
way out of the courtroom. When the handcuffs tighten around
20:06
his wrists, his surprise turns to anger.
20:10
Speaker 2: What's this about? He wants to know.
20:13
Speaker 1: They don't have enough evidence to arrest him for murder,
20:15
so the charge is handling stolen property. It's only when
20:19
they get him back to the station that they drop
20:21
the bombshell. This is about murder, they tell him. The
20:26
murder of a young woman called Kathy Marlowe. The name
20:31
rings a bell. Of course it does. It was the
20:33
name on the bank card that Kennedy attempted to use.
20:38
The color drains from his face. Kennedy seems genuinely shocked.
20:44
He shakes his head in disbelief. This can't be happening.
20:47
He's not a murderer, he tells the detectives. Then how
20:51
does he explain having Cathy's bank card? Daniel Kennedy's story
21:02
is that he found the handbag in a back street
21:04
while walking through Vauxhall, South London. The street he names
21:08
is close to the Research Now building, but Kennedy claims
21:12
he had nothing to do with the theft of laptops there. Naturally,
21:16
the officers interviewing him want to know if there is
21:18
anyone who can verify his story. Kennedy tells them he
21:22
was with his partner, Linda Proffitt, when he found the bag.
21:27
She backs up his account. Given Kennedy's track record as
21:33
a petty thief, this all has the ring of truth
21:36
to it. But the detectives don't just take his word
21:39
for it. They take forensic samples to see if there
21:42
are any traces of his DNA at the crime scene
21:45
or on Kathy's body. Eventually, Kennedy is eliminated as a
21:50
murder suspect, though he is charged with handling stolen property.
21:55
As for Kathy's bag, it turns out that Kennedy still
21:58
has it at home. He takes the detectives back with
22:02
him and hands the bag over, its contents still inside.
22:07
This is now important evidence. It may well contain traces
22:11
of Kathy's attacker. Though the ATM withdrawal has not led
22:16
directly to the killer, it's not a complete dead end.
22:20
Speaker 2: They're getting closer. DCI Elaine can feel it.
22:25
Speaker 1: The investigation gathers pace after the results of the post-mortem
22:28
come in. While noting the multiple head injuries inflicted by
22:32
a blunt instrument, the Home Office pathologist, Peter Durit, gives
22:37
the cause of death as asphyxiation. As DCI Elaine has suspected,
22:42
Kathy was strangled with her own scarf. Not only that,
22:47
the finger-shaped bruises around Kathy's throat show that she had
22:50
desperately tried to pull the scarf away as her killer
22:53
tightened it around her neck. Forensic scientists are also able
22:58
to retrieve two separate DNA samples from under two of
23:02
Kathy's fingernails. Both samples are from the same man. This
23:08
could be evidence of Kathy's fight against her attacker. A
23:13
search on the police DNA database comes up with a
23:15
match and a name.
23:18
Speaker 2: Matthew Fagan.
23:22
Speaker 1: Fagan's DNA had been taken when he was arrested and
23:24
cautioned for being drunk and disorderly. At the time, it
23:28
was not normal procedure in the UK for DNA to
23:30
be taken for such a minor offence. DCI Elaine has
23:35
an overzealous arresting officer to thank for this crucial breakthrough.
23:42
Speaker 2: But there's more.
23:43
Speaker 1: Further inquiries reveal that until nine months ago, Fagan had
23:47
worked at Research Now as their web production manager. He'd
23:52
even sat at the bank of desks next to Cathy's.
23:56
It turns out Fagan was fired because of his incompetence
23:59
and unreliability. Seems he left the company under a cloud
24:04
and bearing a massive grudge. DCI Elaine authorises the arrest
24:12
of Matthew Fagan on suspicion of murder. Detectives track Fagan
24:18
down to his home in Elephant and Castle in the
24:20
South London borough of Southwark. He makes no effort to
24:24
resist arrest and in a strong American accent denies any
24:27
knowledge of Cathy Marlowe's murder. When the 32-year-old Fagan is
24:32
brought into the station, DCI Elaine forms his first impressions
24:36
of the suspect. At over six feet tall and with
24:40
an imposing 146 kilo frame, Fagan would have towered over
24:45
the petite Cathy Marlowe. He could easily have overpowered her,
24:50
but was he capable of killing her? There is nothing
24:55
in his history to suggest a propensity to violence. Yes,
24:59
there was the drunken disorderly charge and the fact that
25:02
he had been fired from his job, but neither is
25:05
enough to flag Fagan as a potential murderer. Fagan was
25:10
born in Oregon, USA, though his family moved between Washington
25:14
State and Canada when he was growing up. They eventually
25:17
settled in a small logging town called White Salmon when
25:21
Fagan was 14. According to one of his high school teachers,
25:26
he did not stand out and was not in a
25:28
lot of trouble. He was just an average guy. Under
25:33
police questioning, Fagan gives nothing away. His expression and body
25:38
language remain calm and unconcerned, almost too confident. He repeatedly
25:45
denies that he had anything to do with Kathy's murder,
25:49
and when questioned about the burglary, he denies that too.
25:54
At least now, Elaine's team have a face to look
25:58
for in the CCTV footage from the street cameras. Before long,
26:04
they come across a grainy segment showing a man who
26:07
could be Fagan walking in the direction of the Research
26:10
Now office. The man is wearing a large rucksack on
26:14
his back, and the rucksack appears to be empty. The
26:20
same man is later seen walking in the opposite direction.
26:24
Now his rucksack is clearly full. But is it Fagan?
26:30
When he's shown the CCTV footage, Fagan denies it's him.
26:35
In fact, he says he has an alibi for the
26:37
time of the murder. He claims he was seven miles
26:40
away in Lewisham. Not only that, he was mugged and
26:44
even reported the mugging to the police. Fagan's story checks out,
26:51
up to a point. He did report a mugging to
26:54
the police in Lewisham. There is no proof, however, that
26:59
a mugging took place. Fagan says he went to Guy's
27:03
hospital to receive treatment for a head wound sustained during
27:06
the alleged mugging. DCI Elaine's team check the hospital's internal
27:12
CCTV cameras. Sure enough, there's Fagan at the accident and
27:17
emergency department waiting to be seen by a doctor. This
27:21
time there's no doubt. It's Fagan. It even looks like
27:25
he's making sure he's noticed. But DCI Elaine is suspicious.
27:32
It seems odd that Fagin should be the victim of
27:34
an assault at precisely the moment he is himself accused
27:38
of attacking and killing someone else. It all looks like
27:43
a smokescreen, designed to provide him with an alibi and
27:48
explain away his injuries.
27:51
Speaker 2: And the timing is far from watertight.
27:54
Speaker 1: Fagin could easily have been at the Research Now building
27:57
at the estimated time of Cathy's death. and then made
28:00
it to Lewisham for when the mugging report is logged.
28:05
Elaine compares the hospital CCTV footage to the man seen
28:09
walking towards and away from the Research Now offices.
28:14
Speaker 2: Could it be the same person?
28:17
Speaker 1: Both have a large rucksack on their backs, but the
28:20
figure in the street CCTV is frustratingly blurred. Then Elaine
28:27
notices something interesting. Both individuals have a distinctive walk, the
28:33
same distinctive walk. It's so pronounced it's almost a limp.
28:39
In Elaine's mind, there's no doubt that it's the same person.
28:43
He calls in a forensic podiatrist, someone who specialises in
28:48
analysing the unique way people walk.
28:51
Speaker 2: The expert confirms it.
28:54
Speaker 1: The man in the street CCTV is the same man
28:58
as in the Guy's Hospital CCTV.
29:02
Speaker 2: And that man is Matthew Fagan.
29:08
Speaker 1: Under UK law, the opinion of a forensic podiatrist is
29:12
not enough on its own to secure a conviction.
29:15
Speaker 2: But it can be used to support other evidence.
29:18
Speaker 1: Fortunately, DCI Elaine already has the samples of Fagan's DNA
29:22
recovered from beneath Cathy's fingernails. And now, his scene of
29:27
crime officers find even more evidence linking Fagin with Cathy's murder.
29:32
They discover smears of blood on the underside of the desks,
29:35
which the stolen computers were taken from. Given the location,
29:40
it's unlikely to be Kathy's blood. Elaine struggles to imagine
29:45
a scenario where she would be crawling around under the desks.
29:49
But could it be Fagan's? DNA analysis comes back with
29:53
a definitive answer. Yes, the blood is Matthew Fagan's. This
30:01
adds a chilling twist to DCI Elaine's reconstruction of what happened.
30:05
It appears that Fagin calmly went about unplugging and stealing
30:10
the computers after he had killed Kathy. It takes a
30:15
special kind of person to remain so cold and detached
30:18
after the shocking brutality of Kathy's death. And yet, until
30:23
this day, Fagin was just an average guy. Faced with
30:30
this new evidence, Fagan's wall of denial collapses, and he
30:34
has to come up with another story. Yes, Fagan finally admits.
30:41
He was there at Research Now the day that Kathy
30:44
Marlowe was killed. But he didn't kill her. According to Fagan,
30:51
here's what happened. Since he got fired from his job
30:55
with Research Now, he'd been working cash in hand as
30:58
a removal man. The work wasn't regular, and he didn't
31:02
pay the bills. Fagin found himself sinking deeper and deeper
31:05
into debt. Pretty soon, his financial situation was desperate. Fortunately,
31:13
some of his new colleagues told him about a side
31:15
hustle they had that helped to make ends meet.
31:19
Speaker 2: Burglary.
31:21
Speaker 1: They made it sound like easy money, so he joined
31:23
them on a few jobs. One day, he revealed to
31:27
his fellow thieves... that he still had the keys to
31:30
an office where he used to work. The place was
31:33
always deserted at the weekend. Why don't they go there
31:36
and help themselves to some laptops? So that's what they did. Naturally,
31:43
DCI Elaine wants to know the names of these accomplices.
31:47
But Fagan claims he only knew them by their first names.
31:52
One was called John, the other Gregor. So what about
31:58
their phone numbers? Ah, yes, says Fagan. The problem there
32:02
is that his phone, with all their details on, was
32:04
stolen when he was mugged. Elaine narrows his eyes suspiciously,
32:11
but nods for Fagan to go on with his story.
32:14
The way Fagan tells it, he managed to get them
32:17
into the reception area of the company. Then he alone
32:20
went into an adjoining room to look for some swipe
32:23
cards so they could access the offices where he knew
32:26
the best laptops were. While he was away, he heard
32:30
raised voices. He came back to see what was happening
32:35
and saw the back of someone's head as they were
32:36
talking in some agitation to John. When this person turned around,
32:43
Fagin saw it was Kathy Marla. She immediately recognized him
32:46
and asked him what he was doing. She then started
32:50
yelling at him to get the hell out. His associates
32:54
were far from happy that he'd been recognized and they
32:57
wanted to shut Kathy up.
32:59
Speaker 2: So John went for her, grabbing her over the mouth.
33:03
Speaker 1: Fagan joined in, helping to drag Kathy out of the
33:06
reception area. There was a struggle. It must have been
33:11
now the traces of his DNA got under her fingernails.
33:15
Kathy hit him in the face with her handbag. They'd
33:18
pinned her down on a chair and tied her up
33:20
with her own scarf and a towel. Then Fagan went
33:23
to wash the blood from his face. When he came back,
33:28
He apologized to Kathy and reassured her that everything would
33:32
be all right. If she just sat quietly, she wouldn't
33:36
be hurt. She was really angry. She just kept glaring
33:40
at him. Fagin decided he didn't want anything more to
33:44
do with it. And so at that point, or so
33:47
his story goes, he just walked away, leaving Kathy with
33:51
his mysterious accomplices who presumably killed her. He doesn't know.
33:58
He wasn't there when it happened. It's a flimsy tale,
34:05
and actually doesn't address the crucial question of how his
34:08
blood came to be under the desks.
34:11
Speaker 2: And that's not all they have.
34:14
Speaker 1: They have him on street CCTV around the building before
34:17
and after the murder. They have his DNA under Kathy's fingernails.
34:21
They have the fact that he's changed his story, at
34:24
first denying he was at research now that day, and
34:27
even trying to create an elaborate alibi by reporting a
34:31
fictitious mugging. DCI Elaine decides they have enough. He charges
34:38
Matthew Fagan with the murder of Catherine Marlowe. They already
34:42
have a considerable body of evidence against Fagan, but Elaine
34:46
knows that if he is to convince a jury beyond
34:48
all reasonable doubts, the more evidence he has, the stronger
34:52
his case will be. He encourages his army of forensic
34:55
specialists to keep looking. a number of additional pieces quickly
35:01
fall into place. First, they find a tiny speck of
35:06
flesh with her hair attached to it on the wall
35:09
near the site of the original attack. DNA analysis again
35:13
identifies it as Matthew Fagan's. It shows the violence of
35:18
the struggle and the fact that Fagan was directly involved.
35:22
Kathy was clearly defending herself against an attack from him.
35:28
Speaker 2: Next.
35:29
Speaker 1: After Fagan's name appears in the papers in connection with
35:31
the crime, a man comes forward saying that he had
35:34
bought a number of laptops from Fagan shortly after the
35:37
murder had taken place. The computers are found to be
35:41
those stolen from Research Now. Finally, shortly before the trial
35:46
is due to begin, the results of the forensic examination
35:50
of Cathy's handbag come in. Fagan's DNA and fingerprints are
35:55
all over it, inside and out. it's clear that he
35:58
handled the bag and its contents, including her cards and makeup.
36:04
Speaker 2: He sold the laptops. He had her handbag. Neither of
36:08
these facts are consistent with his version of events.
36:11
Speaker 1: Despite this, Fagan continues to maintain his innocence, and at
36:15
his trial, he pleads not guilty, blaming others for Cathy's death.
36:21
The prosecution is led by Richard Whittam, QC, who ruthlessly
36:26
and forensically accuses lays out the mountain of evidence against
36:30
Matthew Fagan.
36:32
Speaker 2: Fagan then makes what is perhaps his biggest mistake.
36:37
Speaker 1: He decides to take the stand and give evidence in
36:41
his own defence.
36:45
Speaker 2: The decision reveals his arrogance.
36:47
Speaker 1: He clearly believes he can run rings round the highly
36:50
experienced barrister and his legal team. But his performance is
36:55
oddly wooden. and he's unable to adapt his story to
36:58
the actual evidence. On point after point, he is shown
37:02
to be lying. Every claim he makes is contradicted by
37:06
the facts, and he is unable to provide any proof
37:09
to back up his own account. Richard Whittam tears apart
37:15
his tissue of lies. It takes the jury just three
37:20
hours to reach a unanimous verdict. Matthew Fagan is guilty
37:24
of the murder of Catherine Marlowe. He is sentenced to
37:28
life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years. There
37:33
were no accomplices, no mysterious John or Gregor. He alone
37:38
entered the offices of Research Now that day to steal
37:42
six Dell laptops. He alone struggled with Cathy. He alone
37:47
struck her head with a hammer. He alone strangled her
37:51
with her own scarf. He alone was responsible for her death.
37:58
For DCI Elaine, it's an emotional moment. Kathy's family have
38:02
traveled from New Zealand to be present at the trial.
38:05
Her sister Debbie, brother Brendan, and father Bernard. As Elaine
38:10
recalls in a TV interview, we hugged each other, which
38:15
was probably not very professional in the court, but I
38:18
think emotions slightly took over. With tremendous dignity and courage,
38:24
Bernard Marlowe speaks for the whole family outside the Old
38:27
Bailey when he says, Today's verdict will bring some closure
38:32
in seeing that justice has been served. However, it won't
38:36
bring our Catherine back. She lives in our hearts and
38:39
minds every day. We have lost our Catherine. She is
38:44
gone forever, and that will never change. As for her murderer,
38:50
he has this to say. Whatever sentence he receives will
38:55
never bring Cathy back, nor erase for us the horror
39:00
of her suffering and death at his hands. Next time
39:09
on Scotland Yard Confidential. A wealthy widow goes missing. A
39:14
charming businessman comes under suspicion. In 1949, London is living
39:20
through a period of post-war austerity. 69-year-old Mrs. Durand-Deacon has
39:26
an idea that will bring a touch of glamour to
39:29
women's lives. A new kind of artificial fingernail. John Haig,
39:36
a fellow resident of the hotel where she lives, offers
39:38
to help with the manufacturing. The two arrange a visit
39:42
to his workshop in Sussex.
39:46
Speaker 2: Mrs.
39:46
Speaker 1: Durand-Deacon is never seen again. Her body never discovered. Hayek
39:54
claims she failed to make their appointment, but the police
39:58
suspect otherwise. And the forensic scientists of Scotland Yard are
40:04
determined to prove it. The End Scotland Yard Confidential is
40:19
a Spotify original from Parcast, produced in partnership with Noisa.
40:22
Executive produced by Max Cutler, Drew Cole, and Pascal Hughes.
40:26
Developed by Julian Buaro for Parcast. Series produced by Addison Nugent.
40:31
Series consultant, Roger Morris. Written by Roger Morris. Hosted by me,
40:36
John Hopkins. Supervising editor, Kevin Pham. Sound design by Matthias Torres-Sole.
40:42
Sound supervisor, Tom Ping. Edited by Carla Flores and Rob Plummer.
40:46
Mix master by Kian Ryan Morgan.
40:49
Speaker 2: Music by Oliver Baines and Dory McCauley.