Carol Morgan murder: Man jailed for having his wife killed in her Linslade shop to appeal conviction

Allen Morgan, aged 74, of Stanstead Crescent, Brighton, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years after being found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill his wife, Carol.

Shopkeeper Carol was killed "in a frenzied and sustained attack" on August 13 1981, which took place in the store she ran in Linslade on August 13, 1981. Morgan was convicted in Luton Crown Court this year.

His current wife, Margaret Morgan, with whom he was having an affair at the time of the murder, was found not guilty of the same offence.

Both had denied the charges.

The Court of Appeal (criminal division) has confirmed today (August 29) that it has "received an application for leave to appeal against the conviction for Allen Morgan".

On July 29, Morgan was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, following a nine-week trial at Luton Crown Court.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Carl Foster from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, now retired, oversaw the cold case review into Carol’s death and led the ensuing case to court, describing the conviction as "momentous".

He said: "For over four decades, Carol’s murder went undetected, and no one had ever been prosecuted for their involvement in this truly sickening act.

"Carol did not deserve to die for someone else’s gain. She did not deserve to be erased from history, and I am extremely pleased that we have finally been able to deliver her justice.

“Allen Morgan’s actions have caused irreparable damage to those who knew and loved Carol, and he has been able to freely enjoy life at its peak."

The case lay on file for regular review for years, but was finally able to progress in 2018 thanks to a Cold Case Investigation Unit.

Crucially, alongside financial and witness evidence gathered by original detectives at the time, the team was able to present new evidence from key witness Jane Bunting, who revealed that Allen had discussed hiring someone to kill his wife.

But it is still unknown who carried out the murder of Carol in her shop.