UK COMPUTER THEFT LED TO MURDER Executive 'strangled by ex-colleague' in her office, court hears - Telegraph

Executive 'strangled by ex-colleague' in her office, court hears

A market research executive was strangled in her office during a botched burglary by a sacked colleague who had returned to steal company computers, the Old Bailey heard.

By Nick Allen
Last Updated: 5:20PM BST 10 Sep 2008

Cathy Marlow, 28, who had gone in on a weekend to catch up on work, was throttled with her own scarf and her body was dumped in a workplace shower cubicle.

Her alleged killer Matthew Fagan, 32, who had previously worked in the same office, then walked off with her handbag and half a dozen laptops, the court heard.

Miss Marlow, a finance manager from Hawke's Bay in New Zealand, worked at online market research company Research Now in Lambeth, southwest London.

She had gone in to work on a Saturday so she could get on top of her workload after recently returning from holiday.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam said: "It was her diligence in going to work that Saturday that cost Cathy Marlow her life."

Fagan, an American web production manager, had sat just a few desks away from her until he was sacked in April 2006.

Nine months later, on January 13, 2007, he returned to the office to steal the computers and was unexpectedly disturbed by Miss Marlow, the court heard.

She had arrived at 9.15am and at 1.30pm agreed to meet up with her flatmate Rachael Warren at a nearby Sainsbury's supermarket.

Mr Whittam said: "She said she would be leaving straight away but Cathy Marlow never met Rachael Warren. She was murdered before she was able to leave."

Fagan denies murder. He has admitted burglary, in which he stole six Dell laptop computers.

Mr Whittam said: 'It is the prosecution case he murdered Cathy Marlow while he was in the building trying to carry out the burglary.

"The attack she suffered left blood on the walls and floor of the reception area on the ground floor.

"She suffered injuries on her head, arms and legs and was throttled with her own scarf. She was dragged along the floor and dumped in a shower cubicle.

"It is the prosecution case he went there alone and left alone. As he walked away he discarded Cathy Marlow's handbag."

Friends and colleagues immediately started searching for Miss Marlow when she failed to turn up at the supermarket and they discovered her body at her office.

Fagan, who is originally from Idaho, lived with his wife in Southwark, southeast London, and had been in the UK since 2000.

He had only worked at Research Now for a year before his employment was terminated.

Fagan and Miss Marlow knew each other as colleagues though they were not friends, the court heard.

Jurors heard Fagan had approached a man a few months before the burglary offering to sell him laptop computers for £300 each.

CCTV footage showed Fagan carrying an empty rucksack in the street outside the office block just after 1pm on the day of Miss Marlow's death.

He was next seen leaving with the rucksack full of stolen computers just after 3pm, the court heard. Phone records also showed he was telephoned by his wife at 2.30pm.

The trial continues.