Shani Warren: Man goes on trial for 1987 murder in Buckinghamshire

A man has gone on trial accused of murdering Shani Warren, whose body was found bound and gagged in a lake 35 years ago.

The 26-year-old was found in Taplow Lake, Buckinghamshire, in April 1987.

Donald Robertson, now 66, denies the false imprisonment, indecent assault and murder of Ms Warren.

He also denies the kidnap and rape of a 16-year-old girl in July 1981, which took place less than four miles from where Ms Warren's body was found.

Reading Crown Court heard Mr Robertson has convictions for raping two girls aged 14 and 17 in separate incidents.

The attack on the 17-year-old girl took place less than two months after Ms Warren's body was discovered, John Price QC said as he outlined the prosecution case.

The court heard Mr Robertson kidnapped and raped the teenager as she walked from Slough to Maidenhead after missing the last train.

Mr Price said the victim had said she was "frightened for my life" during the attack in June 1987 and that Mr Robertson "convinced" her he had a weapon and would use it.

No-one was arrested at the time and it was not until a reinvestigation in 2010 with the discovery of new scientific evidence that Mr Robertson was convicted, the court heard.

In October 1981, Mr Robertson admitted raping the 14-year-old girl in Buckinghamshire in August that year, the court heard.

Mr Price said the rape involved Mr Robertson threatening the child with a broken bottle.

He said there were similarities in all four cases.

The court also heard Mr Robertson was convicted of burglary with intent to commit rape and kidnap after he tricked a woman into opening the door of her room at a bed and breakfast in Slough by saying she had a phone call.

During the incident in April 1990, he forced her back into her room and assaulted her, but she managed to escape.

Ms Warren's body was found on Easter Saturday in 1987 by a woman walking her dog.

The witness, who is no longer alive, told police at the time the first thing she saw was a pair of hands "with beautifully manicured nails", tied with something red, which was later confirmed to be a car jump-lead, the court heard.

Mr Price said the dog walker flagged down passing motorists who helped pull Ms Warren's body from the water as it was not clear if she was alive.

"After the body was taken out of the water, it could now be seen, not only was it bound hand and foot, but also gagged by a piece of cloth wrapped around the head and knotted towards the back, at the left side," Mr Price said.

It had been established Ms Warren had most likely died the day before, on Good Friday, the court heard.

The jury was told a post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as drowning.

"In other words, she must still have been alive" when she went into the water, Mr Price said.

The court heard there was bruising to Ms Warren's neck and pin prick-sized bleeds to her face, eyes and scalp, which Mr Price said "pointed strongly to an act of strangulation".

Mr Robertson was questioned by police in 1981 about the rape of the 16-year-old girl, the jury was told.

He denied the offence and was released.

The alleged victim will give evidence during the trial.

The jury was told Mr Robertson had chosen not to attend the trial, with Mr Justice Wall stating he had a right to do so and it should not be held against him.

The trial continues.

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