Shani Warren: Man guilty of murder in 1987 Taplow Lake case

A man has been found guilty of murdering a woman who was found bound and gagged in a lake 35 years ago.

Shani Warren, who lived in Stoke Poges, was discovered in Taplow Lake, Buckinghamshire, in April 1987.

The jury at Reading Crown Court convicted Donald Robertson of the false imprisonment, indecent assault and murder of the 26-year-old.

The 66-year-old was also found guilty of the kidnap and rape of a 16-year-old girl in July 1981.

The court heard Robertson was a serial offender who had carried out attacks before and after he murdered Ms Warren.

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.

When Ms Warren's body was pulled from the water, it was seen that she was also gagged with a piece of cloth and her ankles bound by a tow rope.

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, prosecutor John Price QC said.

Thames Valley Police said it was sorry it had taken so long to bring Ms Warren's killer to justice and that the case was able to come to court due to advancements in forensic science.

Reading Crown Court previously heard traces of DNA matching Robertson's had been found on the underwear of Ms Warren and a mouth gag used on her.

There were also traces found in the underwear of the 16-year-old girl he has been convicted of raping.

Peter Beirne, principal investigator with the major crime review team, said: "It was not as a result of any lack of effort on behalf of the police.

"It was just that unfortunately, at that time, there was not the evidence to enable us to charge Robertson."

Mr Beirne described Robertson as an "evil and dangerous" man and a "predator" who had attacked women and girls "throughout his adult life", subjecting them to "the most horrendous acts".

He said Robertson's failure to attend his trial "speaks volumes" to his character, labelling him "a coward".

Ms Warren's brother, Stephen Warren, described his sister as "warm" and "caring" and said her parents, who died last year, "never recovered" from her death.

"It is one of life's tragedies that everything can be destroyed in an instant," he said in a statement. "Somehow or other, Shani encountered the serial rapist Donald Robertson, whose practice was to attack unaccompanied young girls and women, terrifying them into submission with vicious threats and abuse.

"We cannot imagine what the last moments of Shani's life must have been like, but you may agree that no punishment is enough for her attacker; a psychopath and a coward who lacked the courage to attend court, or even give evidence via a live link."

Thames Valley Police said it was "a regret" there was not enough evidence at the time to charge Robertson with the rape of the teenager in Farnham Lane, Slough, in 1981.

Days after being released in connection with the attack, Robertson raped a 14-year-old girl in Farnham Royal. He pleaded guilty to the rape in October 1981.

Less than two months after killing Ms Warren, Robertson raped a 17-year-old girl who was walking home after missing the last train, just a few miles from Taplow Lake.

He is currently in prison for the attack after being convicted in 2010.

Robertson was also previously convicted of burglary with intent to commit rape, and the kidnap of a woman in an incident in April 1990.

He is due to be sentenced for Ms Warren's murder and the rape of the 16-year-old girl on Thursday.

The victim of that rape said Robertson was "the monster that put my life in turmoil".

"It's been almost a year since the investigation was reopened, and to relive that dreadful night has been very distressing," she said in a statement.

"Justice has been done and I can finally get some closure. So to anyone that finds themselves in a similar situation, don't be afraid to ask for help, be strong and with your courage and the right support you will get through the trauma."

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