Pensioner, 79, pleads not guilty to murdering prostitute, 22, who was found strangled in front of block of garages in north London 48 years ago
- John Apelgren pleaded not guilty to murdering sex worker Eileen Cotter in 1974
- He is also accused of assaulting an 18-year-old guest at wedding to his ex-wife
- Apelgren is said to have a ‘one in a billion’ DNA match to evidence found on body
- The Old Bailey heard Eileen was strangled and found in Hamilton Park, Islington
A pensioner pleaded not guilty today to murdering a prostitute who was found strangled in front of a block of garages in north London 48 years ago.
John Apelgren, 79, is accused of killing 22-year-old sex worker Eileen Cotter in Islington, north London.
She was found strangled in front of a block of garages behind Hamilton Park on the afternoon of June 1, 1974.
In June this year, Apelgren, from Sydenham, south London, was charged with her murder.
He was also charged with indecently assaulting an 18-year-old female guest at his wedding to his ex-wife Ann Smythe, two years before Ms Cotter’s death, on October 14, 1972.
John Apelgren, 79, is accused of killing 22-year-old sex worker Eileen Cotter in Islington, north London almost 48 years ago
On Tuesday, Apelgren – a dual UK and South African national – appeared in the dock of the Old Bailey for a plea hearing before Mr Justice Bryan.
He denied the two charges against him and when asked to confirm it was not guilty, he said: ‘Definitely.’
An earlier hearing at Bromley Magistrates’ Court heard that Apelgren – who has since re-married and has at least one son – was a ‘one in a billion’ DNA match to evidence found on Eileen’s body.
He was allegedly matched after submitting to a DNA test on an unrelated matter in 2019.
Eileen Cotter, 22, was found dead on this street in Islington, north London on June 1, 1974
Eileen was discovered face-down with her buttocks exposed in an area frequented by prostitutes and their clients, accessible via a single track.
A post mortem confirmed the cause of death as manual strangulation, and there was evidence she received a black eye and bruising to her face and neck.
A murder investigation was launched at the time, but nobody was ever charged.
At the Old Bailey, the judge went on to fix a trial of up to four weeks from June 6, 2023.
Apelgren, of Bryden Close, was further remanded into custody as time limits for his detention were extended.
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