TDoR 1997 / 1997 / February / 28 / Robyn Brown


Robyn Brown

Age 23

28 Feb 1997
London (United Kingdom)
Stabbed

TDoR list ref: tdor.info/28 Feb 1997/Robyn Brown (James Brown)

Robyn Brown

Robyn's body was found in a flat in Gosfield Rd W1 on 28th February 1997. She had been stabbed multiple times.

Police launched a murder inquiry. In June 2007 James Hopkins, 40 was arrested after being identified from a palm print left at the murder scene 10 years earlier. He was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 17 years.

Ms Browne, 23, died of multiple stab wounds. A sex worker, she had been undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

Hopkins, of Bawn Drive, Leeds reportedly confessed to the murder in a letter he wrote from prison to his partner Donna, also telling his young son in another letter: “My past has come back to haunt me.”

He was arrested in Leeds in June 2007, after being identified from a palm print left at a murder scene ten years previously.

During the trial Nicholas Hilliard QC, for the prosecution, told the jury that a palm print had been left on the bedroom door of Ms Browne’s flat, as well as on a copy of The Sun newspaper, and another publication.

Hopkins claimed that he had been sent to Ms Browne’s flat by drug dealers to take her address book which contained the details of her celebrity clients, who were being blackmailed.

Mr Hilliard said: “There is some evidence Robyn Browne did have some clients in the public eye.”

Roofer James Hopkins, 42, of Bawn Drive, Farnley, Leeds, was told he must serve at least 17 years.

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/01/19/man-convicted-of-1997-murder-of-trans-sex-worker-robyn-browne/

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/leeds-transsexual-killer-will-serve-minimum-17-years-1-2202928

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10_JeZ7LEIRhvewTCoL5mVkH6MQJzf7fSXl4-P6QJ0v0/edit#gid=0

Report added: 17 Feb 2019. Last updated: 13 Jan 2021

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