Man denies killing office worker

Catherine Marlow had gone into work to catch up after a holiday

A burglar has told the Old Bailey he left a woman tied up but alive when she disturbed him breaking into her office.

Matthew Fagan said there was a struggle when Cathy Marlow, 28, found him and an accomplice stealing computer equipment.

Her body was found in a shower cubicle last January, at the building in Stockwell, south London. She had been strangled with her own scarf.

Mr Fagan, 33, from Elephant and Castle, south-east London, a former colleague of Miss Marlow, denies murder.

Miss Marlow, a finance manager from New Zealand, had gone in on a Saturday as she wanted to get on top of her workload after recently returning from holiday.

She was just sitting there and staring and glaring at me Matthew Fagan

Mr Fagan, a married American national, had been sacked from Research Now, a market research company, nine months earlier, the Old Bailey heard.

He admits going into the office and stealing six laptop computers on 13 January last year, the day of the killing, jurors were told.

He told the court Miss Marlow had recognised him and started shouting.

After a struggle she had been tied up with a red scarf and a white towel. After cleaning himself up, he went back to see her, the court heard.

He said: "I then went into the hallway where Catherine was sitting.

"Basically to say I was sorry about everything that happened but I am sure if she stayed there she would be all right.

"She was really angry. She was just sitting there and staring and glaring at me."

Mr Fagan said he left the accomplice named John with her as he left the building.

The case continues.