Murder accused 'left palm print'

A man accused of killing a transsexual prostitute was arrested a decade later because he left his palm print at the scene, the Old Bailey heard.

Robyn Browne, 23, was found with nine stab wounds to the chest and neck in a flat in Marylebone, central London, in 1997.

At the time of his arrest James Hopkins had settled in Bawn Drive, Leeds, and worked as a roofer.

The 42-year-old denies murdering Ms Browne in a flat in Gosfield Street.

But he said he was sent there by drug dealers working for famous clients, some of whom were being blackmailed, to retrieve pages from an address book.

'Claims untrue'

"There is some evidence that Robyn did have some clients who were in the public eye," said Nicholas Hilliard QC, prosecuting.

But he said of Mr Hopkins' claims: "It was all untrue."

A palm print was found in the victim's blood on the bedroom door and palm prints were found on the Sun newspaper and another publication in a plastic bag on the floor, according to Mr Hilliard.

He said it was not until palm prints could be identified automatically from the national database that Mr Hopkins was arrested.

At the time of her death Ms Browne, who was born James Errol Browne, had been having treatment for a sex change but had not had the final operation.

The trial continues.