Carl Cooper, a 66-year-old handyman from Lewisham, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 35 years for the brutal murders of two women he had been in relationships with. The sentence means Cooper will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
Cooper was found guilty of murdering 41-year-old Naomi Hunte in her Woolwich flat in February 2022 and 48-year-old Fiona Holm, who disappeared from Hither Green 16 months later. Naomi had made four complaints to police about Cooper harassing her before she was found stabbed to death. Despite being arrested on suspicion of her murder, Cooper was released under investigation, allowing him to go on to kill Fiona, whose body has never been found.
Fiona’s family remains devastated by the uncertainty surrounding her remains, with a £20,000 reward offered for information leading to their discovery. During the trial, Cooper denied killing both women and even suggested that Fiona might have been kidnapped by Hamas.
Sentencing Cooper, Judge Justice Johnson urged him to reveal the location of Fiona’s body to “give her family the chance to give her the funeral she deserves.
Naomi Hunte was described as a loving daughter who struggled with substance abuse issues. Her relationship with Cooper was fraught with abuse, leading her father to plead with Cooper to leave her alone. Naomi was found partially clothed and stabbed to death on her sofa on February 14, 2022. Her last complaint to police, made in October 2021, detailed an incident where Cooper had lost his temper after she refused his advances.
Naomi’s family expressed their anguish during the trial. Her father called Cooper a coward, while her mother, describing Naomi as her best friend, condemned Cooper for destroying her daughter’s life. You are an evil, vile man and I hope you receive a sentence that will never allow you freedom,” she said.
The second victim, Fiona Holm, was a generous and caring woman known for her acts of kindness, often helping those in need despite her own vulnerabilities and substance abuse issues. Fiona had also been in a relationship with Cooper and reported him to police, telling friends he had previously stabbed her with a screwdriver.
Fiona was last seen on June 20, 2023, before going to Cooper’s home. Despite attempts to clean up, Fiona’s blood was found in several areas of Cooper’s living room. Her family described the torment of not being able to give her a proper funeral. Cooper is an evil, manipulative and calculating man who seems not to have a conscience and thinks he has the right to take vulnerable women’s lives,” said one of her brothers.
Fiona’s family criticized the initial response by the Met Police, believing her disappearance was not taken seriously, which allowed Cooper time to cover up his crime. However, they acknowledged the support from the police once the murder team got involved.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn expressed relief at Cooper’s life sentence but regretted not having enough evidence to charge him earlier. She pledged continued efforts to find Fiona and investigate any accomplices. “The trial being over does not mean that our efforts to find Fiona will stop. Despite Cooper cruelly denying Fiona’s family the opportunity to bury her, my team and I are, and will remain, committed to finding Fiona and returning her to her family,” Blackburn said.
The case underscores the ongoing struggle for justice faced by the families of the victims and the persistent efforts of law enforcement to bring closure to these tragic events.
