Man, 79, pleads not guilty to murder of woman 48 years ago

John Apelgren is accused of killing 22-year-old Eileen Cotter in Islington, north London, in 1974.

Tuesday 04 October 2022 05:45 EDT

John Apelgren appeared in the dock of the Old Bailey for a plea hearing (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA) (PA Archive)

A 79-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a woman 48 years ago.

John Apelgren is accused of killing 22-year-old 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 in 1974.

In June this year, Apelgren, from Sydenham, south London, was charged with her murder.

He was also charged with indecently assaulting another woman two years before Ms Cotter’s death, on October 14 1972.

On Tuesday, Apelgren 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.”

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.