Detectives who investigated the murder of Walton businesswoman Kate Beagley were commended for their “determination and professionalism” at an awards ceremony last week.
Miss Beagley was stabbed 31 times on a bench in Richmond Hill on her first date with fitness instructor Karl Taylor, 27, in May 2007.
He was found guilty of her murder after a trial at the Old Bailey last March and sentenced to at least 30 years in prison.
Five detectives involved in the eight-and-a-half month investigation were awarded a Judge’s and a Chief Constable’s Commendation at Guildford Cathedral.
A further two detectives and police analyst were handed Chief Constable’s Commendations.
During the investigation, Taylor led them to Miss Beagley’s body, which had been dumped in a nature reserve in Hertfordshire.
They later found her car and, following a search of the hard shoulder and verge of the M1, recovered the knife used as a murder weapon, and the victim’s clothing and personal property.
Deputy Chief Constable Craig Denholm, who presented the team with their awards, said: “This challenging enquiry involved three force areas and multiple scenes.
“To secure a conviction whereby the offender received life imprisonment with a minimum tariff to serve of 30 years was testament to the officers’ excellent team work.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here