Robert James Purkiss was arrested by officers from the National Extradition Unit overnight, as ITV News’ Sam Holder reports
A former British soldier has been arrested and now faces extradition to Kenya over the alleged murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012.
Robert James Purkiss from Salisbury was arrested by officers from the National Extradition Unit overnight and on Friday appeared at an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London.
He said he does not consent to his extradition to Kenya on a charge of murdering the 21-year-old.
The 38-year-old is set to become the first former or serving British soldier to be extradited to face trial abroad for murder.
At the hearing in front of a judge and the home secretary, Purkiss’ application for bail was denied. He has been remanded in custody until 14 November for a further bail application hearing.
Single mother Agnes Wanjiru was last seen alive on 31 March 2012, at a hotel dancefloor with British soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in the town of Nanyuki, Kenya.
The body of the 21-year-old, who left behind a five-month-old baby, was found in the septic tank of a hotel close to the nearby British army base.
The hairdresser had been missing for two months before her remains were discovered, with a post-mortem establishing that she had died of a stab wound to her chest and abdomen.
Home Officer lawyer Joel Smith KC said Purkiss had allegedly shown a fellow soldier a body in a septic tank and told a colleague “it was sex that went wrong”.
“Two other soldiers have told military police that they recall (the soldier) mentioning that confession that night,” Smith told the court.
Smith added that there were also reports of other soldiers who “deny hearing reports of that confession”.
The Home Office lawyer also told the court of Facebook messages in 2018 that were shared between former members of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.
One of the soldiers posted a picture of himself outside the Lions Court Hotel with the comment: “If you know you know,” the court heard.
The soldier also referenced the septic tank, Smith said.
The court heard Purkiss sent a “smiling face emoji” in response, and when a group member asked him “Do you get choked up?”, he replied: “Come to think of it, I have had a sore throat today.”
In September, Purkiss was charged with murder by a court in Kenya, which announced a warrant for his arrest. He denies the allegations.
For 13 years, the family of Agnes Wanjiru have been fighting to find answers about who killed her, amid claims of a cover-up.
Last month, her niece Esther Njoki travelled to the UK to urge the government to extradite Purkiss to face a trial in Kenya.
Speaking to ITV News at the time, she said: “I believe she was killed by someone who was in the army, and the army never took any action”.
Ms Njoki added: “It has been the hardest time, especially looking for justice; there are so many challenges that we have had”.
She met with Defence Secretary John Healy, who reiterated the “government’s steadfast support for her family’s long and painful fight for justice”.
The lawyer for the family, Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory, said: “This is a huge moment for our client and her family who have been fighting for over a decade to obtain justice for Agnes. We hope the UK and Kenyan authorities will now work together to ensure that the suspect can face trial in Kenya as quickly as possible.”
Agnes Wanjiru’s niece, Esther Njoki said: “My family is incredibly relieved to hear that the suspect in my aunt’s case has been arrested. We have waited so many years for this moment, which marks an important step towards finally obtaining justice for our beloved Agnes.”
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