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00:09It was Nicky's cousin who found Nicky.
00:14The community were really shocked.
00:17Everybody knew her and nobody had a bad word to say about her.
00:22It's disturbing. There's broken porcelain on the floor and blood.
00:28A violent murder is something that's unheard of in Letchworth.
00:32It just doesn't make sense.
00:40This video provided by a neighbour shows a threatening man.
00:44He's seen walking past a home holding an axe.
01:09Police have been called to a block of flats on a quiet housing estate.
01:13A number of things will be going through police's minds as they are driving towards Ivalcourt.
01:19You'll know that there's a female deceased and you'll be thinking about your fast-track actions.
01:24What can I do very quickly that may bring about an early resolution to this investigation?
01:31Until you get there, you don't know exactly what you're going to face.
01:41Nicky's cousin told the police that she was concerned for Nicky
01:44because she'd failed to pick her mum up from a hospital appointment.
01:48This was very unlike Nicky.
01:50So she naturally went round but got no response from knocking on her door.
01:55The cousin then goes away and gets some keys to her flat
01:58so she can let herself in to check on Nicky.
02:01Inside the flat, 26-year-old Nicola Collingborn is dead on the kitchen floor.
02:10The attending officers can see that Nicky's got a head injury
02:14because there's matted blood around her head.
02:16They can also see a cut to her wrist.
02:20We've got a head injury, a broken ceramic pot.
02:24It was actually a ceramic chicken that people used to use to keep eggs in.
02:31And there was clear evidence of bloodstaining on that pot
02:34and a dustpan and brush in Nicky's hand.
02:39It's a confusing scene.
02:41Did Nicky have an accident?
02:43Was she attacked?
02:50Whenever an offence occurs, there's a saying about the golden hour principles.
02:56The golden hour is the time immediately after an offence
03:00when evidence is at its ripest.
03:03DNA or fingerprints.
03:05That's why we get scenes of crimes officers in there straight away.
03:08It's vitally important that we examine the scene
03:12and take away any samples for further forensic examination at a laboratory.
03:21I was the first journalist on the scene.
03:23It was a bit after 8 o'clock in the morning
03:26that we got this call through to the newsroom from a member of the public
03:30who said that there'd been a death on the Jackman's estate in Letchworth at Ival Court.
03:38The mood was a bit eerie
03:40because this harrowing thing had happened
03:42and yet I arrived
03:44and from the outside
03:45there wasn't any sign of anything like that at all.
03:49There was a police car there
03:51but that could have been there for anything.
03:53I still wasn't sure quite what to think
03:56at that stage.
03:57You know, I really was just asking questions
04:00and trying to find out what was happening.
04:03I spoke to a couple of the residents
04:05and I just said,
04:06oh, I hear something that happened in the night.
04:08Do you know about it?
04:10And the first woman I spoke to
04:12she had heard it from one of the other people
04:14that someone's died in one of the flats.
04:17At first it me thought that it was a suicide
04:20but the way she put it to me was
04:22oh, there was such a mess and so much blood
04:23we thought it couldn't be.
04:35News of Nikki's violent death spread quickly
04:37it wasn't the sort of thing
04:38that would happen in that community
04:40it was a very pleasant place to live
04:42people were horrified by
04:43what they heard had gone on.
04:48Murder here is unusual
04:50and Nikki doesn't fit the profile
04:52of a typical victim.
04:56We can see by speaking to her family
04:58that Nikki was a lovely person
05:00she was well loved
05:01and she'd do anything for her friends and family
05:04literally anything for them.
05:06This was somebody from a close-knit local family
05:08somebody who was well thought of and well liked.
05:16Nikki was born and bred in Letchworth
05:18she loved children
05:19she worked in a nursery
05:21she was living on her own in the flat
05:23she was single
05:24and her family said
05:25she was looking for the right man
05:27to have some children of her own.
05:29she was the primary carer for her mother
05:32who was ill
05:33and she would often take her to hospital in Stevenage
05:36people relied on her
05:38she was just a popular person on the estate
05:46her family wouldn't believe
05:48that she'd taken her own life
05:49she loved life too much
05:51and she loved her family too much
05:54she would never have left her mum
05:55who relied on her
05:56all the rest of her family.
06:01How did Nikki die?
06:05Investigators believed she'd been dead
06:07at least a day before she was found.
06:10For the officers attending
06:11the first impression could have been
06:13that this is a case of suicide.
06:16there's a cut to the wrist
06:17which could be consistent with self-harm
06:19but there's a lack of blood from the wrist
06:22why is that?
06:23You have that open mind
06:25but you've also got an instinct
06:27because it just doesn't look right does it?
06:30You've got broken ceramic pots
06:31dustpan and brush in one hand
06:34with a cut wrist
06:35and a clear head injury.
06:36the scene as a whole
06:38is not giving you
06:40a clear answer
06:42that this is
06:42anything other than foul play.
06:44It just doesn't make sense
06:46that a third party
06:48is not involved.
06:50It was clear
06:51Nikki hadn't taken her own life
06:53it hadn't been an accident
06:55somebody else was involved
06:57she'd been murdered.
07:00The big question is
07:02who done it?
07:03Who was it?
07:05Who's killed
07:06Nikki Collinborn?
07:08With no idea
07:09who the perpetrator is
07:11or their motive
07:13detectives canvass the neighbourhood.
07:19It's very important
07:20to carry out
07:20house to house inquiries
07:22straight away.
07:23People may not know
07:24they've seen something significant
07:26so it's vital
07:27that we go knocking on doors
07:28to see
07:29who's seen anything at all.
07:31We need information
07:32as soon as possible
07:33and that could be anything
07:35from the description
07:36of a vehicle
07:36to a description
07:38of a person.
07:40Is this
07:41some random person
07:42who's just going to
07:44flats and doing this?
07:46I think the most important
07:47thing in this case
07:48is the house to house
07:49inquiries of people
07:51who can see
07:52or have sight of
07:53the entrance to the flats.
07:55Has anyone seen
07:56anyone suspicious
07:57going in there?
08:00Just parked here
08:02where we are now
08:02you can see
08:03there's a community centre
08:04across the way.
08:06There's a number of shops
08:08on the ground floor
08:09and then the flats
08:10are above those.
08:13When you look at
08:14Nikki's flat
08:15it's a first floor flat
08:17in a corridor
08:19so we're not likely
08:21to get an eyewitness
08:22seeing somebody
08:23go into her flat.
08:26Unless there was anybody
08:27in the corridor
08:28then they could come
08:29and go unseen.
08:34Police fail to find
08:35an eyewitness
08:37so refocus
08:38so refocus the investigation.
08:41One of the fast track
08:42actions on a case
08:44like this
08:44will be to look
08:45for CCTV.
08:47The offender's gone in
08:48on the ground floor
08:50and gone up to
08:51Nikki's flat
08:52on the first floor
08:53so the police
08:55need to do
08:55a CCTV troll
08:56for the entrance
08:58of the offender
08:59and the exit.
09:01Just sat in my car
09:02now I can see
09:03a shop
09:04it looks like
09:04they've got
09:05a CCTV camera
09:06outside
09:07looking down
09:08onto
09:09the entrance doorway.
09:15The home surveillance
09:17system in the flats
09:18had recently been upgraded.
09:19The new cameras
09:20had been installed
09:21at the entrance
09:21to the block of flats
09:22and along the corridor
09:24of the first floor
09:24where Nikki lived.
09:26Luckily there was
09:27a static camera
09:28overlooking
09:28Nikki's
09:29front door
09:30has the offender
09:31been captured
09:32on CCTV?
09:46Letchworth is
09:47an hour north
09:48of London.
09:49It's what's called
09:51a garden city
09:51in England.
09:53It's a place
09:54combining
09:55the perceived benefits
09:56of town and country.
09:58It's full of
09:59these wider streets
10:01with gardens
10:02and gaps
10:02between the houses.
10:04Letchworth isn't
10:05the place
10:05that you'd associate
10:07with violent murders,
10:09people killing
10:10an innocent young woman.
10:18Nikki's death
10:19was the biggest thing
10:21that had happened
10:21in the town
10:22for some time.
10:23It became national news
10:24within an hour.
10:26The fact that this is
10:27a lone woman
10:28in her flat,
10:29a lone attacker,
10:30that would have been
10:31quite frightening
10:32for a lot of people.
10:34As detectives
10:35investigate Nikki's murder,
10:37they struggle
10:38to find a motive.
10:40One hypothesis
10:41was this is a burglary
10:42gone wrong.
10:44Facts that lead
10:45away from that
10:46is that nothing
10:47was taken
10:47from Nikki's flat.
10:49If this was a burglary,
10:50then we'd expect
10:51even after death
10:52that the offender
10:54would have taken
10:54stuff from Nikki's flat.
10:56I'm not ruling out
10:57that they would try
10:58and stage the scene
10:59because they've got
11:00to try and evade
11:01capture by the police.
11:02However,
11:03it just doesn't feel
11:04like she was the victim
11:05of a burglary.
11:12Police seize a number
11:13of hours of CCTV
11:15because we need to know
11:16who was going
11:17to those flats
11:18and who was coming away.
11:20We need to identify
11:21other householders
11:22but also potential witnesses.
11:25So it's very important
11:26that we identify everybody
11:28who we've seen
11:29within our time parameters.
11:33The police laboriously
11:35went through hours
11:37of footage
11:37knowing that Nikki
11:38had died the day before
11:39and then suddenly,
11:41bingo,
11:42it paid off.
11:43When police reviewed
11:44the footage
11:45from the camera
11:46overlooking Nikki's doorway,
11:48but also the entrance
11:49to the flats,
11:50they saw a man
11:52wearing a high-visibility jacket.
11:58He looks like a workman
12:02and he's gone straight
12:03to her flat.
12:08Then the surveillance footage
12:10shows this person
12:11knocking on Nikki's door.
12:13As Nikki opens the door,
12:15this figure tries
12:16to force their way in.
12:18Nikki, we assume,
12:19pushing against the door,
12:21trying to keep
12:21that person out,
12:22but they force their way in.
12:26The CCTV footage
12:28shows that the intruder
12:30arrived at 8.30
12:31on the Monday morning
12:34and are inside
12:35for three hours.
12:38We know that
12:39because the flat
12:40is on the first floor
12:41and the front door
12:42doesn't open again
12:43for three hours.
12:45The intruder's then
12:46seen to leave
12:47with two small bags.
12:55The discovery
12:56of that person
12:57on the CCTV
12:58is a breakthrough.
13:00We now have
13:01a good image
13:02of the person
13:03we'd like to speak to.
13:05But that could be
13:06any one
13:07of a number
13:08of tradespeople
13:09in a white van
13:10that we see every day.
13:12Could have just
13:13pulled up,
13:13gone into the flat,
13:15committed the murder,
13:15then drove away again.
13:17So at that point,
13:18the police don't have
13:19anything to go on
13:20apart from
13:20one CCTV image
13:22of an unknown male
13:23and they have
13:24to investigate from there.
13:27It's vital
13:28that the police
13:29identify this person.
13:30They need to know
13:31who he is.
13:32is he the killer
13:32or can he be ruled
13:34out of their inquiry?
13:47As in all police
13:48investigations,
13:49we examine
13:50victims' phones.
13:52We live a lot
13:53of our lives
13:54on these phones.
13:55So it's very important
13:56to find out
13:57who Nicky was
13:58in contact with
13:59prior to her death.
14:01From the examination
14:02of Nicky's phone,
14:04we could see
14:04that there were
14:04a number of phone calls
14:05with a local locksmith.
14:07It was important
14:08for us to identify
14:09that locksmith.
14:12As detectives
14:13track down
14:14the locksmith,
14:15they also speak
14:16to those closest
14:17to Nicky.
14:19The police need
14:20to build up
14:21a picture
14:21of the victim.
14:23If you find out
14:24how a victim lived,
14:25you may find out
14:26how they died.
14:28Do the friends
14:29and family
14:29hold any information
14:31which would help
14:32us find
14:32Nicky's killer?
14:35Nicky's relatives
14:36were asked
14:37if Nicky had
14:38any problems
14:38with any men,
14:39anybody that she'd
14:40fallen out with,
14:41an ex-boyfriend perhaps.
14:42The answer
14:43that they were given
14:44was no.
14:45Everybody loved her.
14:46Nicky's family
14:47didn't know
14:48of any male
14:48who Nicky
14:49was in dispute with.
14:51Police look
14:52into the locksmith.
14:54When I've ever
14:55investigated,
14:56say, a burglary,
14:57we've always had
14:58to eliminate
14:59tradespeople
15:00from inquiries.
15:01There may be
15:02fingerprints left
15:03from the window
15:04installer.
15:05There may be
15:05a locksmith
15:06who's left
15:07a thumbprint
15:07or even DNA.
15:09So,
15:10tradespeople,
15:10we try and find
15:11a lawful excuse
15:13for them leaving
15:14trace evidence
15:15at the scene.
15:15And this was the case
15:16with the locksmith.
15:17He had an alibi.
15:18He just went round there
15:19to change the locks.
15:21So,
15:21police now
15:22eliminate the locksmith
15:23from their inquiries.
15:25At this point
15:26of the investigation,
15:28they're quite frustrated.
15:29They have a CCTV image
15:31of a person
15:31they'd like to speak to,
15:33but they don't know
15:34who that person is.
15:35They've also carried out
15:36a CCTV troll
15:38in the locality.
15:39They've gone to shops,
15:40businesses,
15:41and video doorbells
15:43from local houses.
15:44They've got
15:45a vast amount
15:46of footage,
15:46but the only image
15:48they've got
15:48of the person
15:49they want to speak to
15:49is from the flat itself.
15:54The biggest challenge
15:56for the police
15:56on this investigation
15:58is how do they go
16:00from CCTV imagery
16:02to the identification
16:03of the person
16:04in the high-vis jacket.
16:19at first glance,
16:20there doesn't appear
16:21to be anything remarkable
16:22going on here.
16:22This appears to be
16:23a bearded man
16:24in a high-vis jacket
16:26walking into a building.
16:28Very nonchalant,
16:29not in a hurry,
16:31seems completely normal.
16:33It appears that this person
16:35is familiar
16:35with this building.
16:36They know where they're going.
16:37They go straight
16:38to that door.
16:40In this type
16:41of investigation,
16:42it would be common
16:43for the police
16:43to take a still frame
16:45from the video like this
16:46and put out a description
16:48of the suspect
16:48to the public.
16:49They're looking
16:50for a man,
16:50large build,
16:52light-colored hair,
16:53goatee,
16:53thick-rimmed glasses.
16:54So the first thing
16:55that I want to do
16:56when I look at this video
16:57is I just want to get
16:58a better look
16:59at this person.
17:00So I'm going to brighten
17:01and enhance the contrast
17:02and the colors
17:03to get the best look possible.
17:05Now, looking at this enhancement,
17:07it's clear that the goatee
17:10is a completely different color
17:12than this person's hair.
17:14It's also clear
17:15that this work vest
17:17has never been worked in.
17:18It appears to be brand new.
17:20Is this a disguise?
17:21Is this person trying
17:23to hide their true identity?
17:34The autopsy on Nikki's death
17:36is released.
17:38The pathologist
17:40didn't actually reveal
17:41a cause of death for Nikki.
17:42However,
17:43the fractured skull,
17:44that would have rendered
17:44her unconscious.
17:46It shows that Nikki
17:47was the victim
17:48of an assault
17:49and that the ceramic chicken
17:51was the most likely weapon.
17:53The report confirms
17:54that Nikki died
17:56around the same time
17:57as the man
17:58in the high-vis vest
17:59was caught
17:59on security footage.
18:01We've got
18:02an unknown intruder
18:04going into Nikki's flat.
18:06She's been assaulted
18:07using the ceramic chicken
18:08and has suffered
18:09a head injury.
18:10And we believe
18:11that the cut to the wrist
18:12was staged
18:13to make it look
18:14like a suicide.
18:14and then that person
18:16from the CCTV
18:17is left to the scene
18:18a number of hours later
18:19after clearing it up
18:21or staging the scene
18:22to make it look
18:23like something else.
18:24So we know
18:25that the person
18:25responsible for Nikki's murder
18:27is the person
18:28on the CCTV.
18:32So if this person
18:33is in a disguise,
18:35what else can we learn
18:36from this video
18:37that might help
18:38identify a suspect?
18:39One technique we can use
18:41is called photogrammetry.
18:42This is the type of thing
18:44that a forensic analyst
18:46would do
18:46that most police departments
18:48just can't.
18:49By taking measurements
18:51from this video,
18:52we can get an approximate
18:53height of this suspect.
18:57Someone's height
18:58can't be changed.
18:59They can change
19:00their physical appearance,
19:01but they can't change
19:02how tall they are.
19:03That's why
19:03every mugshot you see,
19:06there's a height chart
19:07behind the suspect.
19:10In this footage,
19:11we can see
19:12that the lines
19:13that are straight
19:14in the real world
19:15are actually curved
19:17in the footage.
19:18And that's because
19:18this lens
19:19is a wide-angle lens
19:20and it creates
19:21some distortion.
19:22I am able to correct
19:24for the distortion.
19:27So now that the footage
19:29is undistorted,
19:30we need to tell
19:31the software
19:32where this camera is
19:34in 3D space.
19:37The lines that are
19:38highlighted in green
19:39are the Y-axis
19:41and this tells the software
19:42this is the ground plane
19:44and all of the orange lines
19:45are the Z-axis.
19:47Now we need to take
19:48a reference measurement
19:49in the real world.
19:50This yellow line
19:51on the screen
19:52indicates that
19:54reference measurement.
19:55Let's say it's
19:5678 inches.
19:58Once the software
19:58knows that reference measurement,
20:00it can use that reference
20:01to calculate
20:02the height of the suspect.
20:04In this case,
20:05the red line
20:06is showing
20:06almost 68 inches
20:09or 5 foot 8.
20:11So I would tell
20:12the police
20:12you're looking
20:13for a suspect
20:14that's approximately
20:155 foot 8.
20:26The figure in the
20:27high-vis jacket
20:28is detective's
20:29prime suspect.
20:31But who is he?
20:33I'm looking at this footage
20:34and I'm thinking
20:36they're not walking right.
20:38There's almost something
20:39false about the way
20:40they're walking.
20:41The person in the foot
20:42is always trying to
20:42move their arms
20:44at the wrong time.
20:45It's not a natural
20:46way of moving
20:47your arms.
20:48So that would
20:49pique my interest
20:50as to why
20:51that person's
20:52walking that way.
20:53So from the initial
20:55suspicions of the way
20:56the person was walking,
20:57a gait analysis
20:58of the body frame
20:59was carried out.
21:03A person's gait
21:05or walking style
21:06can be distinctive.
21:10It's influenced by age,
21:13gender,
21:14height
21:15and weight.
21:22On initial appearances
21:24the person on the CCTV
21:26looked to be a man.
21:28Got a goatee beard
21:29and is dressed
21:30very masculine.
21:31The gait analysis
21:32results from the CCTV
21:34indicated that the offender
21:36could be a woman.
21:40When you realise
21:42that this person
21:43could be a woman
21:43you'll ask
21:44why would they do that?
21:45Is this person
21:46known to Nikki?
21:49Detectives turned
21:50to Nikki's family.
21:52Had she fallen out
21:54with a woman?
21:58The family then
22:00revealed that
22:01Nikki was in dispute
22:02with her half-sister
22:04Yvonne Kaler.
22:06They shared the same father
22:08but Yvonne was 27 years
22:10older than Nikki.
22:11She'd gone to live
22:12in America
22:13and was quite estranged
22:14from the family.
22:21Yvonne Kaler
22:22had left the UK
22:24when Nikki was only a baby
22:26and so when Nikki
22:27was an adult
22:28she decided to visit her
22:30to get to know her better.
22:32At some point
22:33Nikki went over
22:34to America
22:34to join her
22:35and to live there
22:36for a while
22:36but that didn't work out.
22:38They fell out
22:38and Nikki came back home
22:40and got herself a flat.
22:44Yvonne herself
22:45then returned
22:46from America
22:47and moved in
22:48with Nikki.
22:51Nikki's family
22:52were surprised
22:53that she said
22:54she could stay
22:55with her
22:55in her small flat
22:56but that was
22:57the sort of kind
22:59considerate
23:00and thoughtful person
23:01Nikki was.
23:04But they had
23:05a tempestuous relationship
23:07they were always
23:07falling out.
23:09Yvonne was very jealous
23:10of the relationship
23:11that Nikki had
23:12with their shared father.
23:14Living together
23:14for four months
23:15their relationship
23:17eventually broke down.
23:21During a row
23:22they had
23:22Yvonne had lifted
23:24a laptop
23:25above her head
23:25and brought it down
23:27at speed
23:29crashing to the floor.
23:32Nikki is concerned
23:33about Yvonne.
23:34She's a much
23:35bigger woman.
23:38They were always arguing
23:40and it got to the point
23:42where Nikki actually
23:43evicted Yvonne
23:44from her flat.
23:45She had to have
23:46the locks changed
23:47it would become
23:48that toxic.
23:57On the day
23:58Yvonne moved out
23:59they had another
24:01big argument.
24:03Yvonne made
24:04an allegation
24:04of assault
24:05against Nikki
24:06which resulted
24:07in Nikki being
24:07arrested.
24:09While Nikki
24:10was being questioned
24:11at the police station
24:13Yvonne called
24:14a locksmith
24:15and told that person
24:17that she'd
24:18locked herself out.
24:20She showed
24:21some identification
24:21to say that
24:22she lived there
24:23and she was let in.
24:26She went there
24:27and stole
24:27some personal items.
24:29These included
24:30dolls that had been
24:31left to Nikki
24:32by her grandmother
24:33that were worthless
24:35but were very
24:36important to her.
24:39At the police station
24:40officers finish
24:42with Nikki.
24:45Nikki had been
24:45told by the police
24:46she had no case
24:47to answer.
24:48She went back
24:49to her flat
24:50and discovers
24:51that she's been
24:51burgled.
24:53When Nikki saw
24:54that the door
24:55had been messed with
24:56and the dolls
24:56were missing
24:57she immediately knew
24:58what must have
24:59happened.
24:59Who else would
25:00break in
25:00and take these dolls?
25:03It is bizarre
25:04to me that Yvonne
25:05would orchestrate
25:05this break-in
25:06but she doesn't
25:07take anything
25:08of value
25:08she just takes
25:09a couple of dolls
25:10so clearly
25:10they must have
25:11been symbolic
25:12they must have
25:12held some kind
25:14of emotional value.
25:15Her actions
25:16were of course
25:17risky because
25:17there's a chance
25:18that she could
25:19have been caught
25:20so it feels like
25:20this was some
25:21kind of threat
25:22towards Nikki
25:23some way of
25:24just making her
25:25feel uncomfortable.
25:26Yvonne is trying
25:27to send a message
25:28to Nikki
25:29which is basically
25:30she is vulnerable.
25:53with Nikki
25:54in no doubt
25:55that Yvonne
25:56had burgled
25:56her flat
25:57and stolen
25:58the dolls
25:58she called
25:59the police.
26:01Yvonne's
26:02charged with
26:02burglary
26:03during that time
26:04she contacts
26:05Nikki's mother
26:06Rina
26:06trying to
26:07get her
26:08to say
26:09that some
26:10of the items
26:10were left
26:11or belonged
26:12to Yvonne
26:13and with that
26:14she now faces
26:15a second charge
26:16not just burglary
26:17but also one
26:18of perverting
26:19the course
26:20of justice.
26:27Yvonne tried
26:29everything she could
26:30to make that
26:30burglary charge
26:31go away.
26:32This is very
26:33very big
26:34this is massive
26:34it's something
26:35that the police
26:36can now concentrate
26:37on to find out
26:38what's going on here.
26:39Yvonne was
26:40getting desperate
26:41she wanted to
26:42stop that
26:42burglary trial
26:43going ahead.
26:44While the
26:45burglary charge
26:46is a potential
26:46motive
26:47on the face
26:48of it
26:48Yvonne doesn't
26:49fit the profile.
26:50It's very
26:51very rare
26:51that we have
26:52a sister
26:53on sister
26:54murder
26:54in the UK
26:55and it may
26:56have been a shock
26:57to even the
26:57detectives
26:58to think
26:59that the
26:59victim's
27:00sister
27:00could be
27:01the one
27:01who's killed
27:01her.
27:04For minicide
27:04when an
27:05individual
27:05kills
27:06own members
27:07of their
27:07family
27:07is extremely
27:08rare
27:08and the
27:09perpetrator
27:09is usually
27:10the father
27:11or the husband
27:12often in the
27:12context of
27:13domestic violence
27:14or jealousy
27:15if their wife
27:16is leaving them.
27:17For sororicide
27:17to occur
27:18the circumstances
27:19have to be
27:20extraordinary.
27:21It's usually
27:21in the context
27:22of either
27:22mental illness
27:23or extreme
27:25domestic
27:25conflicts.
27:28Although Yvonne
27:29is a good
27:30suspect
27:31to build
27:32their case
27:32investigators
27:33need to
27:34tie her
27:34to the
27:35crime scene.
27:36Police have
27:37reviewed
27:38the CCTV
27:38images
27:39many,
27:39many times
27:40and now
27:41they know
27:41that the
27:41person
27:42is wearing
27:42a disguise
27:43they take
27:44the imagery
27:44to family
27:45members.
27:47The family
27:48are shown
27:48the CCTV
27:49of this
27:51person
27:51in a
27:52luminous
27:52jacket.
27:54Immediately
27:54they identify
27:56Yvonne
27:56Kaler.
27:58That was a
27:59massive boost
28:00for the
28:00investigation.
28:02The shock
28:03the family
28:04must have felt
28:04when they
28:05realised
28:06that they
28:07could see
28:07Yvonne
28:08Kaler on
28:08CCTV
28:09and she'd
28:10gone to
28:10such lengths
28:11to try
28:12and hide
28:12her identity.
28:15I can only
28:16imagine the
28:17grief the
28:18family have
28:18gone through
28:18when they
28:19realised that.
28:20Clearly
28:21there's a
28:22pre-planned
28:22element to
28:23Yvonne's
28:24behaviour.
28:24She put in
28:25a lot of
28:25effort to
28:26disguise
28:26herself
28:27to gain
28:27entry
28:28into that
28:28flat.
28:29What we
28:29don't know
28:30is what
28:30her intentions
28:31were once
28:32she got
28:32through the
28:33threshold.
28:33There was
28:34bad blood
28:35but the
28:36family were
28:37shocked that
28:39Yvonne had
28:40gone to
28:40this extent
28:41to attack
28:43Nikki and
28:44kill her.
28:47Detectives
28:48believe Yvonne's
28:49disguise was
28:49designed to
28:50mislead
28:51Nikki.
28:52If she'd
28:53recognised
28:53Yvonne at
28:54the door
28:54there's little
28:56chance she
28:56would have
28:56opened it.
29:00As part of
29:01their
29:01investigation
29:02detectives
29:03discovered
29:03correspondence
29:04that Nikki
29:05had been
29:05having with
29:06her GP
29:06saying that
29:08she was
29:08living in
29:08fear.
29:09Nikki was
29:10petrified of
29:11her half-sister.
29:13She took a
29:14photograph of
29:15belongings that
29:16she'd piled up
29:17against her door
29:18and sent that
29:19to her relatives
29:21saying this is
29:22how I have to
29:23live now.
29:25Now that the
29:26police know that
29:26it's Yvonne
29:27Kayla in the
29:28CCTV clearly
29:30wearing a fake
29:31moustache and
29:31probably wearing
29:32a wig as
29:33well.
29:33They went
29:34round to the
29:34local joke
29:35shop and they
29:36found two
29:37employees who
29:38recognised Yvonne
29:39Kayla as
29:40coming into
29:40the shop and
29:41buying a fake
29:42wig and a
29:44goatee beard.
29:47Yvonne Kayla
29:48is taken into
29:49custody.
29:50Whenever anyone's
29:51arrested for an
29:52offence and
29:52they're interviewed
29:53under caution,
29:54as the caution
29:55says, this can
29:55be used in
29:56evidence.
29:58When we
29:59interview a
29:59suspect, we
30:00don't go in
30:01before the
30:01interview and
30:02tell them
30:02everything that
30:03we've got.
30:03We don't show
30:04our hands
30:05straight away.
30:05There is a
30:06process, a
30:07method, a
30:08strategy, so
30:09Yvonne Kayla
30:10doesn't know
30:10what the
30:10police know.
30:14Yvonne, do
30:15you recognise
30:15the person in
30:17that CCTV?
30:18No, he looks
30:18bow-legged,
30:19fat, bow-legged
30:20to me.
30:21I'm fat, but
30:22I'm not bow-legged.
30:23I look like a
30:23man to me.
30:24I can see his
30:25face.
30:27She's shown
30:27the CCTV, denies
30:29that it's her.
30:30She describes
30:31what she sees
30:32as a fat,
30:34bow-legged
30:34man.
30:35Hey, look,
30:36bow-legged,
30:37fat, bow-legged
30:38to me.
30:38That was the
30:39impression she
30:39was trying to
30:40achieve.
30:41She continues to
30:42play out her
30:43plan to the
30:44police officers.
30:45I look like a
30:45man to me.
30:46I can see his
30:47face.
30:48She does
30:49refer to the
30:50person as a
30:51male, and
30:52she says,
30:53he.
30:53Why does
30:53you look like
30:54a man?
30:54But just
30:55after that,
30:56she uses the
30:56phrase,
30:57they.
30:58Because what
30:58they're wearing
30:59look like a
30:59dude.
31:00So she's
31:00gone from he
31:01to they.
31:01So is that
31:02a slip?
31:03Look on,
31:03is that you?
31:04Who's that?
31:05Me.
31:05Why would you
31:06think that's me?
31:07She's maintaining
31:07her instance in
31:08this video,
31:09and to be fair,
31:10she's answering
31:10the questions
31:11quite well.
31:12She's answering
31:12them as though
31:12it was a third
31:14person, but she's
31:16had time to
31:16prepare for this.
31:17Why would you
31:17think that's me?
31:19Because to me,
31:20it looks like a
31:21person's wearing a
31:21wig and a beard.
31:23I don't know about
31:24a wig, but they
31:25look like they're
31:26the beard.
31:27That's not a fake
31:27beard.
31:28Well, I couldn't
31:28tell it was a fake
31:29beard.
31:30Do you own a fake
31:31beard?
31:31No, I don't
31:32own a fake beard.
31:33And she answers
31:34some questions
31:35like, do you own
31:36a fake beard?
31:37And she almost
31:38laughs and shuts
31:39her eyes while
31:40she's thinking of
31:41the question,
31:42because she's
31:42probably disposed
31:43of it.
31:43So the truthful
31:44answer now is
31:46she doesn't own
31:47a fake beard
31:47because she got
31:48rid of it.
31:48We suspect that
31:49person has
31:51murdered your
31:51sister.
31:52Well, it ain't
31:53me.
31:54What I see on
31:56this interview
31:56tape is a cold,
31:58calculated killer
31:59who's trying to
32:00stick to a story
32:01of it wasn't
32:13me.
32:14Yvonne totally
32:15denied the
32:16accusation that
32:17she was
32:17responsible for
32:18Nicky's death
32:19during all her
32:20interviews with
32:20the police.
32:21She denied any
32:23involvement in
32:24Nicky's murder.
32:26However, the
32:27pressure is on
32:27because what the
32:28police want to
32:29do is charge
32:30Yvonne with
32:31this offence.
32:32she is a
32:33flight risk.
32:34She has
32:34previously lived
32:35in America
32:35and the
32:36concern would
32:37be that she
32:37would try and
32:38make her way
32:38back there
32:39again should
32:39she be bailed.
32:43Police get the
32:43forensic results
32:44on DNA taken
32:46from the crime
32:46scene.
32:48The forensic
32:49examination of
32:50the scene
32:50discovered that
32:51there was blood
32:52left on parts
32:53of the ceramic
32:54chicken that
32:55rendered Nicky
32:55unconscious.
32:57Nicky's DNA is
32:59on it as you
33:00would expect but
33:01also there's
33:02blood that
33:04matches Yvonne.
33:05Therefore, the
33:06blood on the
33:06pot can be
33:08attributed to
33:08Yvonne during
33:09the time of the
33:10attack on
33:11Nicky.
33:12The police were
33:13able to reconstruct
33:14the chicken
33:16shaped pot but
33:17some of the
33:18pieces were
33:18missing.
33:21Yvonne Kaler
33:22did try to
33:23clear up the
33:24pieces of the
33:25smashed pot but
33:26didn't make a
33:27very good job of
33:27it because only
33:28about half of the
33:30pieces were
33:30picked up.
33:33And it surmised
33:33that they were in
33:34the bag that
33:35Yvonne was
33:36carrying when
33:37she left the
33:37block of flats.
33:40There was also
33:42blood staining in
33:44the bathroom,
33:46the DNA of which
33:47matched that of
33:48the deceased.
33:49but also other
33:50DNA, the profile
33:52of which matched
33:53Yvonne Kaler
33:54consistent with the
33:56proposition that
33:57some effort had
33:58been made to
33:59wash, for
34:01example, her
34:02hands clean
34:03before she had
34:04left the flat.
34:13Police can now
34:14pinpoint Yvonne Kaler
34:15at the murder
34:16scene at the
34:17time of death.
34:19She's been
34:19identified on
34:20CCTV by a
34:22family member.
34:23She seems to go
34:24into the flat at a
34:25time consistent with
34:26the time of death
34:27from the pathology
34:28report.
34:28And she's left her
34:30blood, her DNA, on
34:31broken fragments from
34:32the ceramic chicken.
34:34The evidence is now
34:35so strong that the
34:37police are in no doubt
34:38that Yvonne was the
34:40person who hit her on
34:41the head with the
34:42ceramic pot and killed
34:44her before staging a
34:46half-baked attempt to
34:47make it look like
34:48suicide.
34:54Yvonne was due to
34:56appear in court,
34:57charged with burglary
34:59on the day that
35:00Nicky died.
35:01I believe this really
35:02angered Yvonne because
35:04Nicky's going to say
35:05that she stole items
35:06from her.
35:07And if she gets a
35:08criminal conviction for
35:09burglary, she can't go
35:10back to America.
35:11Everything had come to
35:12her head for Yvonne.
35:14She was so angry and
35:15enraged that she
35:16couldn't stop proceedings.
35:18And the person in the
35:19way is Nicky
35:20Collingborg.
35:23What the police also
35:25discovered was that on
35:27her computer, Yvonne had
35:29been making plans to
35:30flee the UK.
35:31She was looking at ways
35:33to get to Spain,
35:34possibly going to drive
35:35there, and then was
35:36going to catch a flight
35:38from Spain back to the
35:40United States.
35:43Somebody who is so
35:45cold as to be able to
35:47put a plan together to
35:49murder their half-sister,
35:51is a danger to the
35:52public.
35:52She's certainly a danger
35:54to other family members.
35:55I mean, who else is she
35:56going to kill?
35:59Yvonne Kaler is charged
36:01with the murder of her
36:02half-sister, Nicky
36:04Collingborn.
36:06When it became clear
36:07that it was the sister
36:09of Nicky Collingborn who
36:10had been charged, that
36:11was quite shocking for
36:13everybody.
36:13The community were
36:14astounded to learn that
36:17Nicky had been killed by
36:18the woman that she'd given
36:19board and lodging to.
36:22Nicky's body is released
36:25so she can be laid to rest.
36:30Nicky's funeral was a big
36:31event.
36:32Friends and family from
36:33Letchworth and from all
36:35over the country were there
36:37to pay their respects.
36:38Nicky had an important
36:39role in the family.
36:41She was her mother's carer,
36:42so it must have made this
36:43even harder for the whole
36:45family to accept her loss.
36:46Sadly, the day before Nicky
36:49was laid to rest, her mother
36:51Rina died.
36:53Her family said that she
36:55couldn't cope with the death
36:56of Nicky.
37:13Six months after Nicky's murder,
37:16Yvonne Kaler goes on trial for
37:18killing her half-sister.
37:20The trial was held at Luton
37:22Crown Court in a small courtroom.
37:25The public gallery was packed
37:27with members of Nicky's family
37:30all watching Yvonne, who sat
37:32motionless in the dock.
37:37Yvonne Kaler pleaded not guilty.
37:39She did so upon the basis that
37:41she was not the person who had
37:43gone to the flat on that morning
37:44and who had carried out the killing.
37:46In other words, she was not
37:48the person wearing the
37:49high-visibility jacket and
37:51sporting a beard and a large
37:52pair of spectacles.
37:56The video footage placing Yvonne
37:59Kaler at the scene in this
38:00case was crucial.
38:01Because it's a first-floor flat,
38:03there's one way in and one way
38:05out.
38:06Luckily, there was a static
38:07CCTV camera, so that was
38:10always going to catch the
38:11killer going in and going out.
38:13Yvonne Kaler knew that,
38:14that's why she disguised herself
38:16at the time of the murder.
38:20Local reporter J.P. Asher
38:22covers the trial.
38:25She's asked by her barrister,
38:27did you murder your half-sister?
38:29She replies, no, sir.
38:30Did you have any part in her
38:31death? She replies, no, sir.
38:33When they present the evidence
38:34of a locksniff, she says, at
38:35no point did I call a locksniff.
38:37And when they ask about this
38:39phone call to Rina Hibbert-Jones,
38:40Nicky's mother, to try to have
38:42Rina lie about who certain items
38:44I belonged to, she says, I've
38:46never phoned her ever.
38:47She wouldn't know what I sound
38:49like.
38:49When confronted with the evidence
38:51of going to a fancy dress shop
38:52to try on disguises, she replies,
38:55I would have to cut my hair off
38:56to put a wig on.
38:57And finally, asked if she's the
38:59intruder on the CCTV, she replies,
39:02since I left, I have never been back
39:04there, not once, ever.
39:10All the way along, when interviewed
39:12by police and in court, Yvonne ran
39:15what journalists might call the
39:17shaggy defence.
39:19It wasn't me.
39:21To people in court, it was laughable
39:23that Yvonne went into the witness
39:25box and denied that she was the
39:28person wearing a wig, big frame
39:32glasses, and a fake King Giles the
39:35first beard, along with a high
39:37vis jacket.
39:42There was then extensive scientific
39:45evidence, DNA analysis of blood
39:48staining, and there was evidence of
39:51motive.
39:52Background acrimony, which had
39:54arisen between the two sisters,
39:56culminating in Yvonne Kaler being
40:00charged with an offence of burglary,
40:02and it was an important feature of
40:06the case that the killing was carried
40:08out on the very day on which the trial
40:12for the charge of burglary could have
40:15been commenced.
40:18Yvonne's actions and her behaviours
40:20confuse me, because on the one hand,
40:23some elements of what she did was
40:24pre-planned.
40:25She had gone out of her way to get a
40:27disguise, but the rest of it just
40:29seems very sloppy and impulsive,
40:32from breaking into Nikki's house to
40:34steal some trivial objects, to trying
40:37to wear a disguise to fool Nikki, who
40:39presumably would have recognised her
40:40quite easily being her sister, to going
40:42round and attacking her sister in such
40:44a violent manner and then trying to
40:46cover it up in such a sloppy way.
40:48To me, it just speaks to her chaotic
40:50personality.
40:54I recall that what shocked me about the trial
40:57was that Ms. Kaler seemed unfazed by the
41:05strength of the evidence against her.
41:08I think that those who were there might have
41:12thought that she had overestimated her own
41:16abilities to avoid the consequences of what
41:18in fact she'd done.
41:21To reporters covering the case, the evidence
41:24was pretty overwhelming and it looked to us
41:26that Yvonne would be found guilty, but you
41:30never know with juries.
41:32After four weeks, the jury reaches a verdict.
41:37The jury decided that Yvonne Kaler was guilty of murder.
41:42There was huge relief from Nikki's family in the
41:45public gallery.
41:47Yvonne was impassive.
41:51Before handing Yvonne her sentence, the judge invites
41:54Nikki's family to give impact statements.
41:57The victim's family's testimony spoke of Nikki being a wonderful
42:02person, how she would have been a brilliant mother
42:05and that she'd had her life stolen from her at such a young age
42:09when she had so much to live for.
42:11It was heartbreaking to hear what they said.
42:14Yvonne Kaler is sentenced to life imprisonment
42:17with a minimum of 20 years.
42:20The judge told Yvonne Kaler that she was a violent,
42:24dishonest and deceitful person who was ultimately a selfish
42:29and heartless killer.
42:31As Yvonne was being led down to the cells,
42:34she looked across at the public gallery,
42:39muttered something and scowled at Nikki's relatives.
42:47Did she show remorse during the trial?
42:50Certainly not.
42:51As to whether Yvonne got what she deserved,
42:55I think the answer would be justice was done.
42:59I think the sentence was fair.
43:01Yvonne wouldn't take responsibility for what she'd done.
43:04Over the years, I've covered scores of murder cases
43:07and this must go down as one of the most bizarre.
43:11Yvonne was a manipulative person who needed to be in control.
43:16She's killed Nikki for revenge
43:20and she's concocted her plan to kill her
43:25in a most bizarre way that if you saw her on a TV drama,
43:29you'd think, well, why would you do that?
43:32You're not going to get away with it.
43:34Central to the case against Yvonne
43:36was the security footage.
43:41The availability of CCTV cameras, public and private,
43:46has transformed the type of evidence
43:48which is available in court to place before a jury.
43:51It would have been unheard of many years ago,
43:54but it is now by no means uncommon.
43:57Gone are the days of police solving crimes by informants.
44:00Now they're trawling through reams and reams
44:04of surveillance footage to find the culprit.
44:07With the increase in doorbell cameras,
44:10I can say that such surveillance footage
44:13has assisted every investigation reach a conclusion.
44:27It was so unnecessary.
44:32It's bad enough if you kill a stranger,
44:34but what sort of person have you got to be
44:36to kill your own half-sister?
44:39That's an aspect people would have found quite shocking
44:41because murder in this community is rare in any case.
44:45Why do something so terrible to somebody
44:48who did nothing to deserve it?
44:51Nikki had her whole life ahead of her.
44:53She would have been a brilliant mother,
44:55and it was just so unfair and so undeserving.
44:59What I always found most tragic of all about this
45:01was that she had taken this person into her home,
45:04and it was ultimately Nikki Collingbourne's kindness
45:07that's led to this.
45:20The selfish actions of Ivonne Kaler
45:23left a lasting impact on this community.
45:26Nikki was only 26 when she was murdered.
45:29She could have gone on and had a family.
45:31Her children could be living on the estate now.
45:34Her children could have been going to school.
45:36We will never know.
45:38Ivonne's actions have robbed Nikki's family
45:41of a loving daughter.
45:42The impact of her murder has been huge
45:45on family, friends and the community as a whole.
45:50It's absolutely devastating.
46:09referendum is half-complex.
46:12At reason, she could have walked in passion.
46:14Turn right behind you.
46:18She's weak.
46:21She's growing up.
46:23She'siling up.
46:26She's of cravings.
46:27Yes, we can't, you can't.
46:28It's just like all these response,
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