World dominated by evil : NZ victim's dad

http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/world_dominated_by_evil_nz_victims_dad_558916


World dominated by evil: NZ victim's dad

Wednesday, 1 October, 2008

The father of a New Zealand woman murdered when she interrupted an office burglar in London says respect and decency have given way to a society dominated by money, evil and destruction.

US national Matthew Fagan was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday after he was found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering Cathy Marlow, 28, when she caught him stealing computers from her office.

Marlow's brother, Brendan, read out an emotional victim impact statement from their father, Bernie, who said Fagan had destroyed a whole family unit.

He told the court: "I feel as though all the things I have taught the children about love, respect and being a thoroughly decent human being is wasted in our society," Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported.

"We live in a world dominated by money, hatred, evil and destruction."

The court also learned the victim's mother, Claire, lost her battle against cancer within months of her daughter's death.

The court heard Fagan, 33, was bankrupt after being sacked as a web production executive from Research Now, the marketing firm where he worked alongside Cathy Marlow.

In January last year, using an old security pass, he raided the offices in Stockwell, south London.

But Marlow, who worked for the company as a finance manager, caught him after going into the office to catch up on work following a holiday.

Fagan hit her with a hammer, throttled her with her scarf, then dumped her body in an office shower cubicle.

Fagan was jailed for a minimum of 26 years.