Joanna Cierpka arrested after murder of banker Henrik Slotsaa in Elephant and Castle
The Old Bailey heard that the 52‑year‑old Citibank employee died with 14 stab wounds and that the defendant claims diminished responsibility due to severe depression.
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Police were called to 31 Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle, at 2.41 pm on 15 March 2026 following a welfare alert. Officers forced the front door and found Joanna Cierpka, 51, with injuries in the living room and the body of Henrik Slotsaa, 52, in a bedroom. The Old Bailey was told by prosecuting counsel Danny Robinson KC that the victim, a Danish national employed as a banker at Citibank’s Canary Wharf office, had been dead for some time.
Evidence presented at the Old Bailey
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Hospital staff recorded a written note from Cierpka in which she stated, “I killed my partner”. She signed and dated the statement, the court heard. Dr Ashley Fegan‑Earl, the forensic pathologist who performed the post‑mortem on 18 March, identified 14 distinct sharp‑force injuries to the face, neck, arms and legs. He said the wounds suggested defensive actions and that the victim likely died around 9 March, though he could not give an exact time.
Cierpka entered a not‑guilty plea to murder but argued that she is guilty of manslaughter because of diminished responsibility. The defence hired psychiatrist Dr Penelope Brown, who concluded that at the moment of the killing Cierpka suffered an episode of severe depression with marked suicidal tendencies. Brown said the condition qualified as an abnormality of mental functioning arising from a recognised medical condition and that it substantially impaired Cierpka’s ability to form rational judgment and to control herself.
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The prosecution called another psychiatrist, Dr Shamir Patel, who agreed Cierpka was depressed but disputed that the illness significantly impaired her judgment or self‑control. Patel argued that anger, jealousy over the victim’s friendship with a colleague named Aimee O’Shaughnessy, and alcohol use better explained the stabbing.
I killed my partner
Hospital staff, Old Bailey trial
Both sides must satisfy the jury that the four statutory criteria for diminished responsibility are met. Those criteria require proof that the defendant was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning, that the abnormality stemmed from a recognised medical condition, that it substantially impaired her mental faculties, and that it was a significant factor in the killing.
Next steps in the trial
The Old Bailey has scheduled further hearings to allow the jury to consider the expert evidence. If the jury accepts the defence’s argument, Cierpka could be convicted of manslaughter rather than murder, which would affect sentencing. The court will also hear any further submissions from the prosecution regarding the nature of the injuries and the victim’s relationship with a work colleague.
Questions this report answers
+When was Henrik Slotsaa found dead and how many injuries did he have?
Police discovered the body on 15 March 2026 at the couple’s Newington Causeway flat. Dr Ashley Fegan‑Earl’s post‑mortem recorded 14 separate sharp‑force injuries, including wounds to the face, neck, arms, legs, fingers and knees.
+What plea has Joanna Cierpka entered and what defence is she using?
Cierpka has pleaded not guilty to murder. She claims manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, arguing that severe depression at the time of the killing impaired her judgment, as diagnosed by Dr Penelope Brown.
+What will the Old Bailey decide next in this case?
The court will hear further expert testimony and then direct the jury to consider whether the statutory criteria for diminished responsibility are satisfied. The jury’s verdict will determine whether Cierpka is convicted of murder or manslaughter.
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