Former UK Serviceman Charged of Killing Kenyan Woman Appears in Court

A man has appeared in court as deportation processes commenced in the legal matter of Agnes Wanjiru, a woman of Kenyan origin who was killed near a British forces camp in 2012.

Robert Purkiss, 38 years old, who is hailing from Greater Manchester region, was presented at the magistrates' court in Westminster on the last Friday, and stated to the court he intended to contest the extradition. It is understood that he was arrested on Thursday evening.

An arrest warrant for the suspect was released by a Nairobi court in the month of September. The state attorneys stated before the Kenyan court that the accused had been charged with a sole charge, of murder, and that the Kenyan government would pursue his extradition to answer to accusations.

Purkiss previously worked as a army medic with the Lancaster Regiment, the military regiment for the English northwest, including on missions to Afghanistan.

The victim, 21, a hairdresser who had a baby daughter, disappeared after a night out, and her remains was found 60 days later in the grounds of the lodging where she had most recently observed.

Not a single person had before been taken into custody or accused in connection to her demise. The arrest of Purkiss followed a new police inquiry, which came after a article in 2021 by a weekly publication, in which the media outlet reached out to several active and retired troops in the military group.

The probe has been led by detectives in Kenya, which, under a mutual defense pact, holds legal authority in the matter.