The bloody crime was committed near the fictional address of super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Now, a court in the British capital has sentenced the perpetrator, now 51 years old, to life in prison.
A woman was murdered near super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes' fictional address in London almost 30 years ago. Now, a court in the British capital has sentenced the perpetrator to life in prison. The man, now 51, can only be released from prison after a minimum of 19 years, the Old Bailey criminal court ruled on Friday.
The crime scene on Chiltern Street is not far from Holmes' supposed place of residence at 221b Baker Street – the address was invented by Sherlock author Arthur Conan Doyle for his hero, the house number does not exist on the known street. The perpetrator, then 21, had always denied stabbing the woman to death with more than 140 stab wounds in her flat near Baker Street in August 1994. His fingerprints were found on a plastic bag at the crime scene. However, as he helped at his father's kiosk, where the bag came from, this was not considered evidence. The kiosk is located opposite the private Sherlock Holmes Museum.
The perpetrator was only convicted and charged last year, after his DNA was found on a ring belonging to the victim and it was linked to a bloody footprint on a skirting board. A jury then found him guilty. (APA/dpa)