Former British soldier to fight extradition to Kenya over murder of Agnes Wanjiru
A former British soldier accused of killing Agnes Wanjiru has told a court he does not consent to his extradition to Kenya to stand trial for her murder.
Robert James Purkiss, 38, was arrested in Tidworth on November 6 by specialist officers from the National Crime Agency’s National Extradition Unit.
A hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the following day heard that a colleague of Purkiss’ had seen him crying outside the Lions Court Hotel in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki and when asked why he was upset, had responded: "I’ve killed her".
Ms Wanjiru’s body was discovered in a septic tank near a British Army base two months after her disappearance in 2012. A 2018 inquest concluded that she was killed by British soldiers.
Acting for Purkiss, David Josse KC said the former soldier "vehemently denies" murder and has received funding from the Ministry of Defence to make his case.
Home Officer barrister Joel Smith KC said Purkiss was stationed in Kenya for a six-week training exercise at the time of Ms Wanjiru’s murder.
"There is evidence that when the soldiers were given time off, they would go into town, drink heavily, and they would pay local women for sex", Mr Smith said.
He told the court that on the night of March 31, 2012, Ms Wanjiru was last seen leaving the Lions Court Hotel with a soldier and was never seen alive again.
District Judge Briony Clarke rejected Mr Purkiss’ application for bail and remanded him into custody, telling the former soldier: "You face a very serious allegation".
He will next appear in court on November 14 for a bail application hearing.
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