Ex British Serviceman Accused of Murdering Kenya Female Appears in Courtroom

An individual has appeared in court as deportation processes started in the case of the victim Agnes Wanjiru, a woman of Kenyan origin who was murdered near a British forces camp in the year 2012.

Robert Purkiss, 38 years old, who is hailing from Greater Manchester region, was presented at Westminster magistrates court on the last Friday, and informed the court he intended to contest the deportation. Reports indicate that he was detained on Thursday night.

A detention order for the defendant was released by a court in Nairobi in the month of September. The prosecution stated before the Kenyan court that the accused had been charged with a single count, of homicide, and that the Kenyan government would request his deportation to answer to accusations.

He previously worked as a medic with the regiment of the Duke of Lancaster, the army unit for the English northwest, including on tours of Afghanistan.

Wanjiru, 21, a beautician who had a baby daughter, vanished after a evening out, and her remains was located after two months in the area of the lodging where she had most recently observed.

No one had before been arrested or indicted in connection to her passing. His detention followed a fresh police investigation, which was initiated after a article in 2021 by a weekly publication, in which the publication approached several current and former soldiers in the military group.

The probe has been spearheaded by Kenyan detectives, which, under a bilateral security treaty, retains jurisdiction in the case.