Fiancé convicted of murder in Rita Fleming case

A 59-year-old man was found guilty of murdering his partner Rita Fleming, whose body was found in an overflowing bath in west London.

Fiancé convicted of murder after Rita Fleming found in bath

Police were called to a home in Kensal Town, west London, on June 23 last year after Rita Fleming, 70, was found in an overflowing bath, fully dressed in a nightdress. Clifford Cowen, 59, told officers to check CCTV and claimed he had not been at the address, and he was arrested. He was charged with murder on July 5, 2024, and after a four-week trial at the Old Bailey he was found guilty on Thursday. He will be sentenced on September 1 at Kingston Crown Court. The investigation showed Cowen used controlling and abusive behavior, with messages and voice notes suggesting a pattern of verbal abuse.

The verdict spotlights how controlling partners can mask violence behind a fragile sense of love. It also shows how digital evidence and witness accounts can pierce a carefully built alibi. While the court has delivered justice, the case reminds communities that many victims stay silent. The sentencing will test whether the justice system can translate accusation into accountability and signal that abuse in intimate relationships has consequences.

Highlights

Justice is a step, not a cure for the harm done by domestic abuse.