Sherlock Holmes murderer snared by bloody footprint

A MURDER close to the home of Sherlock Holmes 30 years ago has finally been solved, thanks to a bloody footprint left at the scene.

- Emily Pennink

Sandip Patel, 51, stabbed Marina Koppel over 140 times in her flat near his dad's shop, Sherlock Holmes News in Baker Street, central London, home of the fictional detective.

Patel, who was then a 21-year-old student who ran errands for the shop, allegedly got his victim's PIN during the attack and later used it to take money from her account.

But although his finger marks were found on a carrier bag in Marina's kitchen, the Old Bailey heard he was not treated as a suspect at first as he would have handled bags from his dad's shop.