The Murder of Sally Anne Bowman
Sally’s killer attacked women in at least three countries, but a lack of due diligence meant he continued his rampage for decades.
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Sally Anne’s murder was tragic, but what made the 18-year-old’s death worse was that she was right outside her home when she was attacked in the early hours of the morning. Her screams of pain and terror went unanswered, and when a neighbour eventually came to investigate, it was too late.
Born in September 1987 in Carshalton, south London, Sally Anne was the youngest of four daughters and had set her sights on fame. She attended The BRIT School, a performing arts college that had honed the talent of Adele and Amy Winehouse, and she also worked part-time as a hairdresser.
At six feet tall, she was also a model and became the face of Swatch, which caught the attention of Pulse Model Management, who quickly signed her.
The 24th of September 2005 was a Saturday, and like most 18-year-olds, Sally and her older sister were planning a night out on the town after a long week. Not wanting to travel into London, the women decided to spend their evening on Croydon high street at Lloyds Bar. The friends drank and had a good time, but at 1am, Sally was ready to leave and waited for a cab to take her to a friend’s house.
Soon after arriving, Sally Anne called her ex-boyfriend, Lewis, who was in Kingston at The Works nightclub, and asked him to collect her and drop her home. He picked her up in his car around 2.20am and began to drive back to her house. During the car ride, the pair argued about their relationship ending, with each blaming the other for cheating. The argument lasted two hours, and for Lewis, it’s forever stamped in his memory.
“I thought she had been with boys that night and she thought I had been with girls — it was just jealousy. There may have been raised voices but not shouting. Nobody outside the car would have heard it. We then made up, hugging and kissing. But Sally Anne didn’t want me to leave and we started to argue. In all it was for about one and a half to two hours from the time we arrived there.”
The 20-year-old plasterer had stopped the car near Sally’s home on Blenheim Crescent, but…
