Sometimes, I struggle to find cases to research that catch my attention. Alternatively, there are so many cases that I’m familiar with, it’s hard to choose which one I want to research and talk about. When that happens, I find going back to books I’ve read helps me focus. Going back to The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes, going through the index, and choosing a case at random sometimes helps me focus immensely. And that’s exactly what I did with this case.
Kate Beagley had everything going for her. At 32, she owned her own flat, had a very good job, and a solid support network of family and friends. She was bright and lively. And she had no way of knowing that it would all go horribly, terribly wrong with one bad date.
Kate met Karl Taylor on May 18th, 2007 at the CC Club in Central London. She was out with friends, having a good time and a few drinks. She certainly wasn’t opposed to meeting the handsome and charming 27-year-old. After a while, Kate exchanged numbers with the charming man and arranged for another meeting.
They ultimately decided to meet up on May 30th at the Roebuck pub in Richmond Hill. But something had clearly changed between their meeting at the club and their date. Kate was seen by many witnesses as being cold and standoffish, ignoring Taylor who spoke to her at length. She kept her head down, seemingly texting on her phone. It’s merely speculation on my part, but I think Kate realized that something was very, very wrong. And she had no idea how to get out of it.
The next day, she failed to turn up for work, which was highly unusual. Her friends and family immediately reported her missing. They phoned around looking for her. They set up a Facebook page in the hopes of finding her alive and well somewhere. Then her friends remembered her date with Taylor and contacted the police.
Karl Taylor was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.
Taylor wanted her car, you see. That was how it started. He lured her out on a date in order to take her car. In order to get it, he tucked a knife away fully intending to use it to threaten her.
But maybe he was enraged by her behaviour at the pub. Maybe he didn’t like that she was not responding to his charms. Maybe he didn’t like that she could see something was very, very wrong with their meeting. And maybe that’s when his entire plan changed.
After leaving the pub, he steered her towards a park bench, near where her VW Golf was parked. He did, indeed, threaten her with his knife. He stabbed her. Then he hid her in the boot of her own car as he took her keys and drove off.
He drove a ways, took her from the car, stripped her, and washed her off with mineral water. He figured the special water would erase all forensic traces of his ever coming into contact with Kate. After his arrest, he led police to her body, in Oxhey Woods, near Watford. She had 31 stab wounds to her face and neck.
After cleaning her off, Taylor then jumped back in the car and headed home towards Covent Garden – throwing her clothes, belongings (save her mobile phone), and the murder weapon out of the car window along the way. He called his girlfriend to celebrate his brand new car. He gloated and showed it off to all his friends. He even had the audacity to reformat Kate’s mobile phone and sell it to a friend.
All he really wanted was her car. But what he got was a dead body on his hands.
After finding Kate, police investigated their suspect at length. The discovered that Taylor had a prior conviction for obtaining property by means of deception. They also discovered that he often talked about committing suicide. He once had to be talked off a bridge, but never once had he sought treatment for his mental turmoil.
Despite his declining mental health, police felt they had enough to press charges for first-degree murder.
Karl Taylor was tried in March of 2008 at the Old Bailey for premeditated first-degree murder. The prosecution laid out their evidence.
Taylor had lured Kate out on clearly false pretences. He was prepared. He’d concealed a knife and a pair of scissors (that he didn’t end up using) up his sleeves. He had every intention of getting her car. He needed a car. Hers would do. But then their date ended in disaster. Kate ignored him. She knew something was wrong, and she wanted it to end. And so, Taylor ended it.
Taylor attacked her, taking his rage out on her. But he did, indeed, get her car.
The defence had a different story to tell. They claimed that yes, he did want her car. He took out the knife, but she fought him, and grappled with him. He had no choice but to defend himself! “She was coming at my face” he said. She then pushed her head and neck into the knife in his hands, traumatizing him by committing suicide in front of him. She’d told him she had problems and wanted to end it all.
No one believed the defence for a single moment. They could see through his elaborate and unbelievable lies.
Judge Giles Forester convicted Karl Taylor and sentenced him to a minimum of 30 years imprisonment, calling him arrogant and highly dangerous.
And isn’t that always the way? It’s the charming, handsome, arrogant ones that end up being the most dangerous people of all.
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Sources:
The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes, edited by Robin Odell – available at Chapters/Indigo
First date murder Karl Taylor jailed for life by Richard Edwards for The Telegraph
Fitness trainer gets 30 years for killing woman on first date by Owen Bowcott for The Guardian
30 years for murdering executive on first date by Rob Singh for the Evening Standard