Detectives are making a fresh appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of the horrific and unsolved Boxing Day murder of a police mechanic, who was left bound to his bed for nine days before being discovered.
A Brutal and Lingering Death
Alan Holmes, a 53-year-old man living with multiple sclerosis, was subjected to a sustained and brutal attack in his Camden flat on 26 December 1995. Intruders tied his hands and feet, beat him, and forced him to reveal his bank card PINs. They then left him, tightly bound and face down on his bed, where he remained for over a week.
Alan, who worked at Kentish Town police station, had enjoyed Christmas dinner with friends in west London the previous day. He was dropped at his flat on Parkway around midnight. When he failed to turn up for work for several days, concerned colleagues forced entry on 4 January 1996. He was found barely alive and rushed to hospital, where he died the following day.
The Hunt for the Killers
Investigators believe two men were responsible. While Alan lay helpless, they used his bank cards to withdraw approximately £1,000 over several days. Despite a £25,000 reward and a partial DNA profile obtained from the bindings, no one has ever been charged.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated: "We continue to encourage anyone with information—no matter how small—to contact police." A source close to the original investigation confirmed the DNA, believed to belong to a killer, has yet to find a match on the national database.
A Gentle Soul Remembered
Alan's family described him as a kind and gentle person who loved poetry. His sister, nurse Mavis Yule, said at the time: "He was in a dreadful state. I don't know how anyone could have done this to him... He was very kind and would have given you the shirt off his back."
His brother Ken highlighted Alan's vulnerability, noting his MS diagnosis five years prior and that he "wasn't a fighter." He expressed gratitude that the police had kept Alan employed despite his declining health.
Doctors concluded Alan died from a combination of dehydration and blood clots caused by the severe injuries to his wrists and ankles from the restraints. Alan, who had moved to London from Northern Ireland in the 1960s, lived alone at the time of the attack.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 or provide details anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
