A former British soldier accused of murdering a Kenyan woman whose body was found in a septic tank has been denied bail by a London court. Robert James Purkiss, 38, faces extradition to Kenya over the alleged 2012 killing of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, with prosecutors calling the murder "brutal".
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring rejected Purkiss's bail request at Westminster Magistrates' Court, citing safety concerns. The judge told him: «I agree with the Kenyan authorities that there is a significant risk that if I release you, you could cause harm to another either physically or mentally.»
Purkiss, originally from Lancashire, had offered to pay a £15,000 security fee. His lawyer David Josse KC argued it was "fanciful" to suggest the former soldier would flee. Purkiss nodded towards his family in court when told he would remain in custody.
Alleged confession and evidence
The court heard Purkiss allegedly told a colleague «it was sex that went wrong» in an apparent confession. A previous hearing was told the same colleague saw him crying outside the Lions Court Hotel in Nanyuki at the time of the alleged murder. When asked why he was crying, Purkiss allegedly said: «I've killed her.»
In 2018, Purkiss allegedly responded with a smiling face emoji after a colleague posted a picture outside the hotel with the comment «if you know you know», while referencing the septic tank.
Public denial
Speaking publicly about the case for the first time, Purkiss told the Daily Mail he is innocent. «I did not kill Agnes Wanjiru, I do not believe I ever met her either. Neither would I joke about killing a woman,» he said.
He told the paper: «I only heard about the incident weeks later when I was on a military exercise in Canada. Only much later than that was I told a body had been found in a tank. I never booked the hotel room, can't remember ever being in it. I think we were back in camp by midnight.»
Background
A 2018 inquest concluded Wanjiru was murdered by British soldiers. Her body was discovered near a British Army base two months after she disappeared.
Purkiss "vehemently denies" murder and has received Ministry of Defence funding for his defence, Mr Josse previously told the court. He does not consent to extradition to Kenya.
The case will return to Westminster Magistrates' Court on December 9 for a case management hearing.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
