'Evil' Lewisham handyman who murdered two women 'likely to die behind bars'

Lewisham handyman Carl Cooper has been jailed for life with a minimum of 35 years for murdering two vulnerable women he had been in relationships with.

The sentence means that 66-year-old Cooper will probably spend the rest of his days in prison.

Cooper stabbed 41-year-old Naomi Hunte to death at her Woolwich flat in February 2022, after she had made four complaints to police that he had been harassing her.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder but was released under investigation and went on to murder 48-year-old Fiona Holm who went missing from Hither Green 16 months later.

Fiona’s family remain “tortured” by the fact her body has never been found – a £20,000 reward has been offered for information which leads to her remains being located.

During the trial Cooper denied killing either woman and even suggested that Fiona might have been kidnapped by Hamas.

As he jailed Cooper for life on Tuesday (July 2) Judge Justice Johnson told Cooper he still has a chance to tell police where Fiona’s body is to “give her family the chance to give her the funeral she deserves”. 

Carl Cooper has been jailed for life after a jury found him guilty of two murders (Image: Met Police)

‘He was in his 60s, she was in her 30s, it was wrong’

Naomi was described as a loving daughter but was vulnerable and struggled with substance abuse issues.

She and Cooper had been in a relationship but it was not a happy one.

Naomi’s dad said he met Carl Cooper years earlier and asked him “man to man” to leave Naomi alone as she wasn’t well.

“He was in his 60s and Naomi was in her 30s. It was wrong what he was doing,” he said.

Naomi Hunte was found dead in her flat in February 2022 (Image: Met Police) Naomi was found partially clothed and stabbed to death on the sofa of her flat on Congleton Grove on February 14.

Her last complaint to police was in October 2021 when she told police Cooper had come to her flat wanting sex and when she had refused he had lost his temper.

Cooper murdered Naomi on the evening of February 9/10, the jury found.

Prior to her death Naomi left Cooper a voicemail which said: “Listen, don’t bother coming here, you’re acting like a fool. Goodnight. Don’t come here, I’m going to my bed.”

Addressing Cooper, Naomi's dad said: “In my eyes are you are a coward.”

Naomi’s mum described her daughter as her best friend.

“No parent should ever have to bury their child, it is not the order of life,” she said.

She told Cooper: “Naomi wanted you to leave her alone. But you didn’t and now you have destroyed her life.

“You are an evil vile man and I hope you receive a sentence that will never allow you freedom.”

‘Lightning struck twice’

Cooper was arrested and interviewed, and during a search of his home police found one of his coats had Naomi’s blood on it. 

However, he was later released under investigation.

Prosecutor Joel Smith KC said: “Lightning struck twice in exactly the same place because in June 2023, a little over a year since Ms Hunte was found, Fiona Holm went missing.”

Fiona’s family described her as a “loving, caring” woman who was the life and soul of the party.

Her mum said: “She was the sort of person who would have given a stranger her last five-pound note if they needed to eat.”

During the trial the jury heard from a homeless man Fiona invited into her home for a hot shower and a meal – an act of kindness she regularly performed.

Her children said: “Mum was so friendly. So was known by so many people in Blackheath and Lewisham. She would stop to ask about people’s days. Her love was contagious.”

Fiona Holm was described as a generous and loving mum (Image: Met Police) Fiona, like Naomi, was a vulnerable woman. She had substance abuse issues and her family described her as someone who did not understand danger.

Fiona had also been in a relationship with Cooper. She reported him to police and told friends he had previously stabbed her with a screwdriver.

Fiona was last seen on the evening of June 20, 2023, at a convenience store on St Mildred’s Road in Hither Green before going to Cooper’s home.

Cooper was later found to be selling one of her coats, had redecorated his living room and had lit several fires.

Despite the renovation Fiona’s blood was found in several areas of his living room.

One of Fiona’s brothers said: “Cooper is an evil, manipulative and calculating man who seems not to have a conscience and thinks he has the right to take vulnerable women’s lives.”

Another of her sisters said prison was not enough punishment for Cooper.

‘In the beginning police didn’t take this seriously’

Fiona’s family said they believe her disappearance was not initially taken seriously by the Met Police.

One of her brothers said: “Although she was probably killed before she was reported missing, we may have had more answers if police acted quicker.”

They said they are tortured every day by not being able to give Fiona a proper funeral, as her body has never been found.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn (third from left) and Helena Davies (fourth from left) speak to the press outside Woolwich Crown Court after Cooper was jailed for life (Image: NQ)

Helena Davies, one of Fiona’s sisters, told the press: “This vile evil man took her life and we want to know why. We want to know where he put Fiona so we can bury her and lay her to rest.

“In the beginning the police didn’t take her disappearance seriously and we believe this allowed him to get rid of most of the evidence.”

However, she added that since the murder team got involved the Met have been very supportive.

Speaking after the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: “While I am relieved that he will be incarcerated in a place where he poses no threat to women, my greatest regret will always be that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge him earlier.

“I am pleased that the evidence presented allowed the jury to see the true nature of Carl Cooper, who had gone to great lengths to remove traces of Fiona’s blood from his flat.

“It was shocking for the court to discover her blood was on various items in his flat, including a wifi router, the television, living room walls, and on the curtains.

"The trial being over does not mean that our efforts to find Fiona will stop. Despite Cooper cruelly denying Fiona’s family the opportunity to bury her, my team and I are, and will remain, committed to finding Fiona and returning her to her family.

“We also will continue to investigate the possibility that Cooper had help to remove Fiona’s body, and will arrest and charge those I have sufficient evidence to do so.”