Eileen Cotter: Man, 80, jailed for manslaughter of girl he strangled almost half a century in the past
An 80-year-old man has been jailed for manslaughter after strangling a younger girl almost half a century in the past.
John Apelgren has been convicted after his DNA was flagged as a match within the historic case when he was cautioned for assaulting his third spouse in 2019.
The case of Eileen Cotter’s demise had been reopened in 2012 when DNA was extracted from her physique and in contrast with a then-prime suspect who was dominated out.
Apelgren hit Ms Cotter, who was a intercourse employee, within the face and throttled her earlier than throwing her physique out of his automotive, the Old Bailey heard.
Her partly bare physique was discovered on 1 June 1974 exterior garages identified to be a intercourse employee hang-out.
The 22-year-old’s demise in Islington, north London, got here two years after Apelgren sexually assaulted an 18-year-old visitor at his personal marriage ceremony to second spouse Ann in October 1972.
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC had instructed jurors the incident solely got here to gentle years later when police interviewed Ann Apelgren as a part of the re-investigation into Ms Cotter’s demise in 2012.
Eileen Cotter
The path went chilly for seven extra years till 2019, when former minicab driver Apelgren got here to the eye of police for attacking his third spouse.
He accepted a warning for the assault and his DNA was flagged as a match to the historic killing, which occurred simply six weeks after the beginning of his first little one together with his ex-wife Ann.
She went on to divulge to investigators he had mistreated her too – and as soon as utilized power to her neck with each of his fingers.
Apelgren, from Sydenham, south London, declined to provide proof in his trial.
He was acquitted of homicide however discovered responsible of manslaughter and indecent assault.
On Friday, Mrs Justice May jailed him on the Old Bailey for 10 years for the killing and an additional six months for the sooner assault to run consecutively.
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The garages in Islington, north London, the place the physique of Eileen Cotter was present in 1974
Ms Cotter’s demise led to the breakdown of her mother and father’ relationship and her five-year-old brother Patrick Cotter was taken into care.
In his assertion, he stated: “No-one ever spoke to me about my sister’s death. I have no memory of her funeral.
“I do not know the place she was laid to relaxation… As a results of the traumatic occasion throughout my childhood I shut down emotionally. It’s made it troublesome for me to kind shut relationships.
“I only have very faint memories of my sister but I believe she cared for me.”
He concluded: “To sum it up in simple terms, the impact of Eileen’s killing had on my life: I was not only deprived of a sister I had little time to get to know, the knock-on effect also meant I lost my mother to suicide and my father to mental illness and alcoholism, all brought about because John Apelgren took Eileen’s life.
“I want to see justice for Eileen whose life was cruelly lower brief 49 years in the past.”