A man who conspired to murder his then-wife over four decades ago, in order to start a new life with his lover, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 22 years. Allen Morgan, 74, from Brighton, was found guilty by a jury at Luton Crown Court for conspiring to murder Carol Morgan.
Carol Morgan, aged 36 at the time, was discovered brutally murdered at the convenience store she managed with her then-husband, who was 31 years old at the time, in Linslade, Bedfordshire, on August 13, 1981. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that at the time of the victim’s death, there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge anyone related to the case and her husband wasn’t considered a suspect.
Bedfordshire Police revealed that the case was reopened by detectives in 2018 following a review by a cold case team. Morgan was tried alongside his current wife, Margaret Morgan, 75, who was also charged with conspiracy to murder but was acquitted, according to the police.
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The court was informed that the murderer, whose identity remains unknown, used a heavy weapon to inflict fatal injuries to Carol Morgan’s body and skull. Mr Justice Martin Spencer, while sentencing the “wicked” Morgan on Monday, said: “The brutality of the killing shocked all those who attended the scene. Only one person knows the identity of the murderer and that is you, Mr Morgan. That is the secret which you have harboured for the last 40 years.”
He continued: “The law has now caught up with you, and you must pay due punishment for your part in this crime, but the murderer remains at large, if indeed he is still alive.” During Carol Morgan’s murder trial, the prosecution revealed that Allen Morgan was involved in an extramarital affair with the co-defendant, citing his financial troubles as the reason he couldn’t divorce his wife.
Post Carol Morgan’s demise, it emerged in court that Margaret Morgan – previously known as Margaret Spooner – left her spouse to start a new life with Allen Morgan. The pair eventually married and have remained together since then, the jury heard.
A crucial piece of evidence came from a witness who stepped forward after years, informing authorities that when they were 17, Margaret Morgan took them to a bar where Allen Morgan inquired about finding someone to kill his wife.
Throughout the nine-week trial, evidence indicated that the actual perpetrator had stolen money from a concealed compartment in the shop’s office, leading detectives to suspect that inside information was shared, and the cash was likely used to finance the homicide, as per Bedfordshire Police.
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