Detective gets life for murdering York Pc Heather Cooper

Peter Foster had previously pleaded not guilty to killing Detective Constable Heather Cooper, 33, who was stabbed before her body was dumped in Blackdown Woods, near Lurgashall, West Sussex, in October last year.

But the 36-year-old former detective constable, who lived with the mother-of-two in Haslemere, Surrey, changed his plea to guilty at Lewes Crown Court today.

Miss Cooper was killed at the couple’s home while she was on maternity leave with her second child, who was born just weeks prior to her death.

The court heard that Foster claimed Miss Cooper had attacked him and he initially acted in self-defence but then his actions turned to aggression.

The hearing was told he hit her over the head 10 times with a baseball bat before stabbing her in the throat.

The court was also told that Foster did not have a clear memory of the events.

Miss Cooper, who grew up in York, joined Surrey Police in 2003 and worked in the Public Protection Investigation Unit based at Guildford police station.

During her career she received several letters of praise from senior officers for her work on various crimes and in 2009 was given a commendation by the force for her “professionalism, dedication and commitment”.

Sentencing Foster, Judge Richard Brown described him as an “extremely dangerous individual” who may never be safe to be let out of prison.

He said: “This was a wicked, savage and senseless attack on a young mother in her own home.

“Not only have you taken her life, you have also deprived Joshua and Isabel of a loving mother and, no doubt, devastated her family and friends.”

The judge added that aggravating factors were that the attack was carried out in front of the couple’s children, that the defendant was trained in martial arts, and the ferocity of the attack which involved two weapons.

He said the minimum prison term would be 17 years but it would be a matter for the parole board whether Foster would then be released.

He told him: “Whether or not you will ever be released will be a matter for them.

“Many matters may point to you being an extremely dangerous individual.

“However, that’s a matter for the parole board, not me.”