Killer jailed for the murder of comedy legend Tommy Cooper's niece in Eastbourne

A man has been jailed for life for the "chilling" murder of the niece of late comedian Tommy Cooper.

Tony King, 60, of Cornfield Terrace, Eastbourne, will serve a minimum of 22 years for the murder of Sabrina Cooper which was described as "motiveless and senseless" by Judge Christine Henson KC.

Sabrina Cooper, who ran a magic shop until 2017, was selling up her property to start a new chapter in life, but was discovered dead by her daughter at her home in Eastbourne, East Sussex on 18th December 2022.

The grandmother was found in a pool of blood with her family initially believing she had fallen down the stairs and reopened wounds from her recent operation recovering from cancer.

Police investigations discovered she had suffered five stab wounds to her abdomen and chest.

Tony King, who was a friend of Ms Cooper in Eastbourne, was arrested after a number of text messages were found between himself and Ms Cooper arranging for him to help her with boxes for her impending move.<

According to prosecutor Amy Packham, King said the pair met through a mutual friend at a coffee shop and would chat while she walked her two dogs over a period of a few years and had become better friends more recently.

On December 18, CCTV showed the 60-year-old going to Ms Cooper's flat, and leaving around an hour later at 9.14am carrying an orange plastic bag.

Hove Crown Court was shown footage of King, the day before the murder took place, posting on his TikTok account to 11,000 followers saying: "Watch out for my next magic trick, it's going to be amazing."

In an unpublished TikTok video the following day, after the murder took place, he recorded himself saying: "I have just taken a life today."

During questioning with Sussex and Surrey police officers, he admitted the murder, telling investigators he was carrying a knife in his pocket for protection against a neighbour he had trouble with, but then "took it out, didn't say anything and just stabbed her", Miss Packham said.

King then told officers: "I just took her life and to this day I don't know why.

"She hadn't done anything wrong."

Daughter Natasha Cooper described how since her mother's death she has "good and bad days, most bad."

The mother-of-two said: "Mum had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone, she didn't deserve this."

From a mental health assessment, doctors diagnosed King with a personality disorder with narcissist features and that alcohol and drug misuse exacerbated this.

They added he was an "angry" man who felt cheated in life.

King stared blankly as he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 23 years, with 183 days already served.

Speaking after the hearing, Natasha Cooper welcomed the sentence, hoping that her mother will be able to "rest in peace with the knowledge that justice has, at last, been served."