Former Colleague Denies Cathy Marlow's Murder

At the Old Bailey in London, the trial is underway of former Research Now employee Matthew Fagan, who stands accused of the murder of Finance Manager Cathy Marlow. Fagan denies murder, but has admitted to stealing six Dell laptop computers from the firm.

In January 2007, Marlow had gone in to the South London office at the weekend to catch up with some work. The prosecution claims she disturbed a burglar, Fagan, who then strangled her with her own scarf and dumped her body in the firm's shower cubicle; and that Fagan, who had sat just a few desks away from her until he was sacked in April 2006, then stole her handbag and half a dozen laptops.

Marlow, who was born in New Zealand and had worked at Research Now since summer 2005, shared a flat with Rachel Warren in nearby Vauxhall. On the day of the murder, Warren raised the alarm after Marlow failed to show up just hours after the pair had made an arrangement to meet.

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

Fagan, an American, had been in the UK since 2000 and worked at Research Now as a web production manager for a year before his employment was terminated. Whittam claims that he returned to the firm nine months later to steal the laptops, when he was unexpectedly disturbed by Marlow.

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 later seen leaving with the rucksack full of stolen computers, the court heard.

In November 2006, he approached a friend and asked him to sell some laptops for him at £300 each.

The trial continues.