Alan Holmes

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Metropolitan Police Homicide And Serious Crime (COMMAND)

Offense Location:

Camden, London

Summary:

Alan Holmes, a 53-year-old garage mechanic who worked at Kentish Town Police Station, was tied up and left to die at his home in Camden, north London after being dropped off by friends at his flat in Parkway around midnight on Christmas Day 1995. He was found fully clothed and tied face-down to his bed by police on 4 January 1996 after being there for ten days. Alan died on 5 January 1996 from blood clotting due to his injuries. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Alan Holmes spent Christmas Day of 1995 with friends, having dinner in west London. At approximately midnight, his friends dropped him off in front of his flat in Camden Town. It was the last time he was seen alive. Police believe his killers tortured him into handing over two Natwest bank cards and his PIN numbers before leaving him to die. On 4 January 1996 police officers forced entry and found him tied hand and foot to his bed, face down and fully dressed. Although still alive, he was critically ill due to being restrained in the same position and dehydration. Before his death, he managed to tell officers that he had been left tied up since Boxing Day – although one of his killers had returned to the flat following the attack. He was taken to University College Hospital, where he gave an account of what happened. The tight restraints and his inability to hardly move had led to a blood clot. He was also suffering from dehydration and he died the next day.

Additional Details:

His name is remembered above the door of one of the offices at the police station where he had worked for 17 years. Five people were arrested between January and March 1996 in connection with his murder, but none were charged. The police said that they thought they knew who was responsible for his murder but said that CCTV footage and forensic techniques were not sufficient to identify them well enough to bring about charges. CCTV cameras recorded a total of £1,000 being withdrawn but the images have not helped to identify any of the suspects. One original line of enquiry was that the attack was carried out by members of the homeless community. Launching an appeal in 2000 and offering a £5,000 reward, which still stands, Detective Inspector Nigel Counsell described it as a brutal killing. In December 2010, DCI John Oldham of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command made an appeal for witnesses, noting it had been 15 years since Alan was killed and those responsible had never been held to account. Mavis Yule, his sister, said in the days after his death that he was a friendly, gentle person who loved poetry and should have been a writer. As of August 2024, there have been no further developments since the appeal in late 2010.

Case Last Updated:

Jul 30, 2026