A former British soldier said Friday that he would fight extradition to Kenya where he faces charges of murder in the death of a woman whose decomposed body was found in a septic tank 13 years ago.
Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court to contest his transfer to Kenya, where he is charged in the killing of Agnes Wanjiru, who was last seen leaving a hotel bar with British soldiers in the town of Nanyuki, near a British army training ground.
British soldiers on leave had been drinking heavily on March 31, 2012, at a hotel where they were known to pay local women for sex, Prosecutor Joel Smith said.
Wanjiru, 21, had left her baby daughter with a friend that night and said she was going to “hustle for her daughter,” Smith said.
“She was never seen alive again,” Smith said.
Smith said Purkiss confessed to other soldiers that he killed Wanjiru.
One soldier, who had been drinking that night, said he saw Purkiss crying. “When he was asked why, the defendant said ‘I’ve killed her,'” Smith said.
Purkiss did not enter a plea but shook his head as the prosecutor described the evidence against him.
Defense lawyer David Josse said Purkiss, who is self-employed and works from the home he shares with his wife and two children, “vehemently denies” the murder charge.
Smith said Purkiss told another colleague that it was “sex that went wrong” and led a soldier to the septic tank to view the body.
A postmortem examination concluded that Wanjiru may have been alive when she was dumped in the tank, Smith said.
Wanjiru’s family has been seeking justice for years and their representative met with British Defense Secretary John Healey, who pledged his support after the Nairobi court in September ordered the arrest of Purkiss, who was not publicly named at the time.
District Judge Briony Clarke rejected a request to release Purkiss. He was remanded to custody until a Nov. 14 bail hearing.
The case has drawn attention to the conduct of British military personnel stationed abroad and the challenges of seeking accountability across international borders. Wanjiru’s death occurred in 2012 near a British army training facility in Nanyuki, but charges were not brought until more than a decade later.
The prosecutor’s account in Westminster Magistrates’ Court painted a disturbing picture of the night Wanjiru disappeared. The young mother had left her infant daughter with a friend to earn money, only to encounter British soldiers who were drinking at a local hotel. The hotel was reportedly a location where British military personnel were known to engage local women for paid sexual encounters.
The alleged confession to fellow soldiers adds a particularly significant element to the prosecution’s case. According to court testimony, Purkiss was seen crying and admitted to killing Wanjiru when questioned by another soldier. The prosecutor stated that Purkiss also described the incident as “sex that went wrong” and reportedly led at least one other soldier to view the body in the septic tank.
The postmortem finding that Wanjiru may have been alive when placed in the septic tank adds a horrifying dimension to the case, suggesting she may have suffered before her death in the confined space.
The lengthy delay between Wanjiru’s death in 2012 and the current extradition proceedings in 2025 raises questions about why it took more than 13 years for charges to be brought. The Nairobi court’s September order for Purkiss’s arrest marked a turning point in the case, though authorities initially did not publicly identify him by name.
The involvement of British Defense Secretary John Healey, who met with representatives of Wanjiru’s family and pledged support, indicates high-level British government engagement with the case. This support suggests recognition of the serious nature of the allegations and the need for accountability when British military personnel are accused of crimes abroad.
Purkiss’s current circumstances, living with his wife and two children while working as a self-employed individual, contrast sharply with the allegations he faces. His defense lawyer’s statement that he “vehemently denies” the murder charge sets up what could be a lengthy legal battle over extradition.
The judge’s decision to deny bail and remand Purkiss to custody until the November 14 bail hearing indicates the court’s assessment of the seriousness of the charges and potentially concerns about flight risk given the international nature of the case.
The extradition proceedings will likely examine whether there is sufficient evidence to justify transferring Purkiss to Kenya to face trial, as well as whether such a transfer would be compatible with his human rights under British and European law. British extradition law requires courts to assess both the strength of the evidence and whether extradition would be proportionate and compatible with the defendant’s rights.
For Wanjiru’s family, the extradition hearing represents a crucial step toward potential justice after more than a decade of waiting. The young mother’s death left behind a baby daughter who is now a teenager, growing up without her mother and seeking answers about what happened that night in Nanyuki.
The case also highlights broader issues about military justice, the conduct of armed forces personnel abroad, and the mechanisms for holding service members accountable when alleged crimes occur in foreign countries. The presence of British troops at training facilities in Kenya has been longstanding, but this case raises questions about oversight and the behavior of soldiers during off-duty hours.
