‘My sister will always be in my heart’: Man jailed for 20 years for murder of Marlene Coleman

The partner of Marlene Coleman, who murdered her after she told him she wanted to leave him, has been jailed for 20 years.

Franklin McLeod, 55, of Cressingham Road in Lewisham, appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

After McLeod was convicted, Marlene’s sister, Pamela Campbell, said: “I am overwhelmed with the verdict of guilty for McLeod in relation to the murder of my sister, Marlene. I would like to thank the courts and the jury for the result.

“He will now get the justice that he deserves. This has been the most traumatic time in my life and I now feel that I can slowly move on after the decision made at court. My sister will always be in my heart, God bless her soul.”

The court heard how McLeod and Marlene, 53, had been in a relationship for more than 10 years and McLeod could be aggressive, possessive and jealous.

Marlene eventually met someone else and was planning a life with them. McLeod found out about the relationship by going through her phone.

On June 15, 2021, neighbours told police that around 9.30pm they heard screams coming from the couple’s flat.

CCTV recorded McLeod leaving the flat and further CCTV captured him walking about until, at around 11.45pm, he walked in to Lewisham Police Station.

McLeod told the station officer he had argued with his fiancé and went on to explain that the argument had taken place at his home address in the kitchen.

When asked what had happened he told the station officer how he followed his fiancé into the kitchen and put his hands around her throat as she was at the kitchen sink.

He said she had fallen unconscious and he had left there and gone for a walk. He then said when he returned to the flat 20 to 30 minutes later he found her in a pool of blood, but had not called an ambulance.

A post-mortem showed she had died from a single stab wound to her neck that was so ferocious it had gone right through and out the other side.

This also indicated that Marlene had been lying down when the fatal blow was struck.

McLeod was previously found guilty of the murder at the same court in November last year.

Pictured top: Marelene Coleman, left and her killer Franklin McLeod, right (Picture: The Met)