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| Overtime led to fatal chance encounter | Overtime led to fatal chance encounter |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| By Chris Summers BBC News An ex-employee who had lost his job has been convicted of murdering his former finance manager after she went into work at the weekend and found him stealing computers. | |
| Matthew Fagan is an American who graduated from high school in a logging town in Washington state. Cathy Marlow was a New Zealand expat, who had spent 18 months in London working as a finance manager. | Matthew Fagan is an American who graduated from high school in a logging town in Washington state. Cathy Marlow was a New Zealand expat, who had spent 18 months in London working as a finance manager. |
| THE KILLER Matthew Fagan was born in September 1975Graduated from Columbia High School in White Salmon, Washington in 1994Came to London in 2000Married a German woman in 2003Worked at Research Now from April 2005 to April 2006Murdered Cathy Marlow in January 2007Convicted of murder in September 2008 | THE KILLER Matthew Fagan was born in September 1975Graduated from Columbia High School in White Salmon, Washington in 1994Came to London in 2000Married a German woman in 2003Worked at Research Now from April 2005 to April 2006Murdered Cathy Marlow in January 2007Convicted of murder in September 2008 |
| A cruel quirk of fate put them together one day. | A cruel quirk of fate put them together one day. |
| She ended up dead and he now faces life in prison. | She ended up dead and he now faces life in prison. |
| Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said: "It was her diligence going to work on that Saturday that cost Cathy Marlow her life." | Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said: "It was her diligence going to work on that Saturday that cost Cathy Marlow her life." |
| Miss Marlow's body was found, fully clothed, in a shower cubicle at her office on 13 January last year. She had been tied up and throttled with her own scarf. | Miss Marlow's body was found, fully clothed, in a shower cubicle at her office on 13 January last year. She had been tied up and throttled with her own scarf. |
| It was a Saturday and Cathy had come into the offices of Research Now, a market research company, at the weekend to finish off some work. The 28-year-old had been on holiday to Egypt and felt bad for falling behind with her work. | It was a Saturday and Cathy had come into the offices of Research Now, a market research company, at the weekend to finish off some work. The 28-year-old had been on holiday to Egypt and felt bad for falling behind with her work. |
| Miss Marlow was throttled with her own scarf | Miss Marlow was throttled with her own scarf |
| She arrived at the office at 0915 GMT and had arranged to meet a friend for lunch. At 1330 GMT she spoke to her friend and said she would be leaving soon, but she never arrived. | She arrived at the office at 0915 GMT and had arranged to meet a friend for lunch. At 1330 GMT she spoke to her friend and said she would be leaving soon, but she never arrived. |
| The friend contacted Simon Edwards, who worked at Research Now. They found her body and immediately called the police. | The friend contacted Simon Edwards, who worked at Research Now. They found her body and immediately called the police. |
| The walls and floor of the office were smeared with blood. Detectives sent away material for forensic analysis and a DNA sample from underneath Miss Marlow's fingernails gave them a match - Fagan. | The walls and floor of the office were smeared with blood. Detectives sent away material for forensic analysis and a DNA sample from underneath Miss Marlow's fingernails gave them a match - Fagan. |
| He had had a DNA sample taken after he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and detectives discovered he had worked at Research Now as a web production manager before being fired in April 2006. | He had had a DNA sample taken after he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and detectives discovered he had worked at Research Now as a web production manager before being fired in April 2006. |
| Fagan and Miss Marlow were former colleagues who knew each other by sight and detectives realised he must have panicked and killed her when she disturbed him in the office. | Fagan and Miss Marlow were former colleagues who knew each other by sight and detectives realised he must have panicked and killed her when she disturbed him in the office. |
| Stole laptops | Stole laptops |
| After killing her, rather than aborting the burglary, he continued. His rucksack was seen on CCTV footage, bulging with stolen laptops as he left the office. | After killing her, rather than aborting the burglary, he continued. His rucksack was seen on CCTV footage, bulging with stolen laptops as he left the office. |
| He did not stand out and was not in a lot of trouble - he was just an average guy Janet McCutcheonFormer teacher | He did not stand out and was not in a lot of trouble - he was just an average guy Janet McCutcheonFormer teacher |
| Fagan was born in Oregon and grew up in a small logging town, White Salmon, just across the border in Washington state. | Fagan was born in Oregon and grew up in a small logging town, White Salmon, just across the border in Washington state. |
| At the age of two he moved to Canada - but he returned to White Salmon aged 14, and graduated from Columbia High School in the town with a B minus average. | At the age of two he moved to Canada - but he returned to White Salmon aged 14, and graduated from Columbia High School in the town with a B minus average. |
| The school's assistant principal, Janet McCutcheon, said: "He did not stand out and was not in a lot of trouble. He was just an average guy." | The school's assistant principal, Janet McCutcheon, said: "He did not stand out and was not in a lot of trouble. He was just an average guy." |
| She said he had been enrolled in her Future Business Leaders of America class. | She said he had been enrolled in her Future Business Leaders of America class. |
| When interviewed by police, Fagan made no comment - but he later admitted burgling the office and stealing six laptop computers. | When interviewed by police, Fagan made no comment - but he later admitted burgling the office and stealing six laptop computers. |
| Tied up | Tied up |
| He said he had tied Miss Marlow up and left her with one of his accomplices. | He said he had tied Miss Marlow up and left her with one of his accomplices. |
| When he gave evidence, Fagan, speaking in a strong American accent, said he had been married since 2003 to a German woman. | When he gave evidence, Fagan, speaking in a strong American accent, said he had been married since 2003 to a German woman. |
| He admitted falling heavily into debt after losing his job and filing for bankruptcy. | He admitted falling heavily into debt after losing his job and filing for bankruptcy. |
| Catherine Marlow's body was found in an office shower | Catherine Marlow's body was found in an office shower |
| Fagan said he had been earning cash working for a removal company and carrying out burglaries on the side. | Fagan said he had been earning cash working for a removal company and carrying out burglaries on the side. |
| He thought his former employers would be ripe pickings for a burglary. | He thought his former employers would be ripe pickings for a burglary. |
| Fagan said, in the witness box, that when Miss Marlow had found him and his accomplices in the office they had grabbed her, muffled her screams and tied her up. | Fagan said, in the witness box, that when Miss Marlow had found him and his accomplices in the office they had grabbed her, muffled her screams and tied her up. |
| He claimed she was alive when he left her to meet other accomplices. | He claimed she was alive when he left her to meet other accomplices. |
| On the way home Fagan said he had been mugged and injured by a man carrying a knife. He said he had then gone to Guy's Hospital to get his injuries treated. | On the way home Fagan said he had been mugged and injured by a man carrying a knife. He said he had then gone to Guy's Hospital to get his injuries treated. |
| But Detective Chief Inspector Damian Allain said Fagan was a "devious and callous" man who had told a tissue of lies. | But Detective Chief Inspector Damian Allain said Fagan was a "devious and callous" man who had told a tissue of lies. |
| Miss Marlow's father, Bernie, and other members of her family flew over from New Zealand for the trial. They were clearly pleased when the verdict was reached. | Miss Marlow's father, Bernie, and other members of her family flew over from New Zealand for the trial. They were clearly pleased when the verdict was reached. |