Allen Morgan from Brighton jailed for life for plotting to kill wife

Allen Morgan, 74, of Brighton, was unanimously convicted by a jury of conspiracy to murder Carol Morgan at Luton Crown Court.

Carol Morgan, 36, was found hacked to death at the convenience store she ran with her husband, then aged 31, in Linslade, Bedfordshire, on August 13, 1981.

At the time of the victim’s death, there was not enough evidence to charge anyone in connection with the case and her husband was not considered a suspect, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

A picture of Allen Morgan from the 1980s. He has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years for plotting to kill his then-wife to start a new life with his lover more than 40 years ago. (Image: Bedfordshire Police/PA Wire)

The case was reopened by detectives at Bedfordshire Police in 2018 following a review by a cold case team.

Morgan, now a frail pensioner of Stanstead Crescent, Woodingdean, was tried alongside his current wife, Margaret Morgan, 75, who was also charged with conspiracy to murder but was acquitted.

The court heard that the killer, who has never been identified, used a heavy weapon to hack at Carol Morgan, causing fatal injuries to her body and skull.

Mr Justice Martin Spencer, sentencing “wicked” Morgan on Monday, said: “The brutality of the killing shocked all those who attended the scene.”

He went on: “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.

“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.”

READ MORE: Pensioner convicted of conspiring to murder shopkeeper over 40 years after her death

The prosecution told the jury that Allen Morgan had been having an affair with the second defendant at the time of Carol Morgan’s death, but felt he could not divorce his wife because of financial issues.

After Carol Morgan’s murder, Margaret Morgan, who was then called Margaret Spooner, left her husband and moved in with Allen Morgan.

Carol Morgan was brutally murdered (Image: Bedfordshire Police/PA Wire)

The couple later married and have been together ever since, the court heard.

The jury was told that a witness, who was 17 at the time of the murder, had come forward in 2021 and told police that Margaret Morgan had brought her to a pub where Allen Morgan had asked whether she knew anyone who could help him kill his wife.

Over the nine-week trial, it was revealed that the killer had stolen cash from a secret drawer in the shop’s office, suggesting that they had been given inside knowledge and the money was part of the payment for the murder, Bedfordshire Police said.

After six days of deliberation the jury found Allen guilty and Margaret not guilty.

Bedfordshire Police's DSI Carl Foster previously said: “Carol was killed in a frenzied and sustained attack, suffering horrific injuries which cruelly cut short her life.

“Over the last four decades methods of gathering evidence have changed and improved, but the key in this case has been a change in people’s allegiances and loyalties. As a result, the re-investigation relied on good old-fashioned detective work, retracing the evidence obtained in 1981 and revisiting numerous witnesses.”