Carl Cooper: Man who murdered two girlfriends jailed for life
A man who murdered two girlfriends a year apart has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 35 years.
Carl Cooper, 66, was in relationships with Naomi Hunte, 41, who was stabbed to death in 2022 and Fiona Holm, 48, who disappeared in June 2023.
Ms Hunte was found dead on her sofa on Valentines Day, while Ms Holm’s body has never been recovered.
There is a live £20,000 police reward for information which leads to her remains being found.
On Friday a jury at Woolwich Crown Court found Cooper guilty of both counts of murder after three days of deliberations.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: “Carl Cooper is a dangerous, violent domestic abuser who preys on women with vulnerabilities.
“He took the lives of two vibrant, sociable women who were so very loved by their families and friends. Naomi and Fiona are in my thoughts today.”
Ms Hunte, of Woolwich, was found with stab wounds at an address in Congleton Grove, Greenwich, on the evening of February 14, 2022, when a neighbour noticed her front door was open and went inside to check on her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination at Greenwich Mortuary gave the cause of death as a stab wound.
Initial enquiries revealed that all signs of Ms Hunte being alive stopped four days before she was found. Her mobile phone and her bank account were inactive from that evening.
Officers reviewed mobile phone data relating to Cooper and quickly identified that he was in the area of Naomi’s flat at the relevant times on February 9 and 10. This was supported by CCTV evidence that showed some of his movements that night.
The trial had heard Ms Hunte had made a number of calls to police over the previous two years telling officers that handyman Cooper was stalking her.
He was arrested on February 18 on suspicion of murder. In interview he admitted that he was with Ms Hunte on February 10, but claimed she had taken drugs and begun to act strangely, so he left.
On the evening of February 10, when Ms Hunte was already dead, Cooper made a call to her mobile phone – the call was not answered and he did not leave a message.
Cooper was released on bail.
In June 2023, while Cooper remained under investigation, Ms Holm, from Blackheath, who Cooper was in a relationship with, was reported as a missing person.
Ms Holm had also made complaints about Cooper to the police, the court heard.
The last sighting of Ms Holm was at an off licence in Verdant Lane, Catford, shortly before 11pm on June 20. Police have never found any further footage or images of her after this time.
The homicide team investigating Ms Hunte’s murder took over for the investigation into Ms Holm’s disappearance on July 11.
Cooper was arrested the same day on suspicion of Ms Holm’s murder. On July 13 he was charged with the murders of both women.
DCI Blackburn said: “I would like to sincerely thank the families of Naomi and Fiona for their unwavering support throughout both investigations.
“While I am relieved that he will be incarcerated in a place where he poses no threat to women, my greatest regret will always be that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge him earlier.”
Pictured top: Killer Carl Cooper (Picture: the Met)
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