Colin Stagg was once wrongly suspected of one of Britain’s most notorious murders. Almost 35 years after Rachel Nickell’s death, he appears in a new Netflix documentary about the case, and it’s clear the ordeal continues to affect him.
Nickell, a 23-year-old mother, was killed in July 1992 while out walking on Wimbledon Common with her young son, Alex. She was stabbed 49 times, sexually assaulted and left to die. Alex survived and was the only eyewitness.
The investigation quickly focused on Stagg, a local man who loosely matched witness descriptions and was known to walk his dog in the area.
But despite years of suspicion and a highly controversial police operation, he was completely innocent.
Who is Colin Stagg?
Colin Stagg spent more than a year in custody over Rachel Nickell’s murder before being acquitted of all charges.
With no forensic evidence linking him to the killing, police brought in criminal psychologist Paul Britton, who had previously interviewed serial killers including Dennis Nilsen and the Wests.
“What they got from me is a point-by-point psychological analysis,” he explains in the documentary.
Britton concluded the killer was likely under 30, lived locally, had few friends, preferred solitary hobbies and had an interest in martial arts and pornography.
Police then turned their attention to Stagg, who admitted he had been on the Common around the time of the murder. His flat was also described as unusual, filled with zodiac, gothic and pagan imagery.
But while he remained their main suspect, detectives still had no evidence strong enough to charge him. So, they tried something else.
How Colin Stagg was ‘honeytrapped’
Police were contacted by a woman who had exchanged letters with Stagg through a lonely hearts column. According to officers, their conversations had left her feeling uncomfortable.
That led to one of the most controversial undercover operations in British policing history.
An undercover officer known as “Lizzie James” posed as a friend of the woman and began a fake romantic relationship with Stagg in the hope of securing a confession.
Stagg spoke openly about his own violent fantasies but never admitted any involvement in Nickell’s murder.
Despite that, police used material gathered during the operation to charge him.
He spent 13 months behind bars. When the case finally reached the Old Bailey in September 1994, Mr Justice Ognall condemned the police’s actions, describing them as “deceptive conduct of the grossest kinds”.
Stagg was fully acquitted.
Police apologise for ‘huge impact’ on Colin Stagg’s life
Fourteen years later, in 2008, Scotland Yard formally apologised to Stagg after Robert Napper was convicted over Nickell’s death.
“In August 1993, he was wrongly accused of Miss Nickell’s murder. It is clear he is completely innocent of any involvement in this case and I today apologise to him for the mistakes that were made in the early 1990s,” Assistant Commissioner John Yates said.
“We also recognise the huge and lasting impact this had on his life and, on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I have today sent him a full written apology.”
When Napper was convicted of the killing, he also asked his lawyer to apologise to Stagg.
“He realises how dreadful that period of time in Mr Stagg’s life must have been,” David Fisher QC said (via The Guardian).
Years earlier, former lead detective Keith Pedder admitted the case had failed everyone involved.
“Colin Stagg has been through a version of justice, albeit truncated, and he has been found not guilty. But I wonder whether he can actually say hand on heart that he believes people will meet him in the street and believe that,” he said.
Where is Colin Stagg now?
Stagg, believed to be 62, was last reported to be living in Farnborough with his dog, Taz.
“I was Britain’s most hated person for about 15 years. So many stories were made up about me – like I was the worst person who ever lived. I know I had to go through it by myself. There was no counselling or support – no one wanted to know,” he said (via the Express).
“It still affects me now and the mind wanders and you start thinking about it all. Speaking about it to a crowd helps in some way – to get it off my chest.
“Lots of people didn’t know about the truth and what police were saying was all lies – that only came to light years later. Speaking about it now is some sort of cathartic experience. I am still a lonely person, I live alone with my dog but talking like this does help.”
Despite being cleared, his association with the case left him “almost unemployable”.
Speaking in 2025, he revealed he had started appearing on tour with journalist and author Jon Ronson.
“He introduces me as a special guest and I discuss the case. While many have forgotten, the older generation all recognises me. I talk about how the honeytrap occurred – how they entrapped me and the psychological impact it had on me,” he explained.
“It has been like therapy for me. The first show I did not know what I was getting into in front of a live audience with thousands of people.”
How Colin Stagg lost his £706k payout
Stagg received £706,000 in compensation from the Home Office for the failures in the investigation, but says none of it remains.
“I helped a lot of people out – my ex-partner, family and friends. I bought them cars each. But some people I thought were friends turned their back on me when the money dried up,” he told The Sun in 2023.
“I was not living the high life, I didn’t go on exotic holidays or anything like that. I bought a decent car and just lived the way I did. My bills were always paid – but I was let down by people I trusted.”
He also revealed he donated almost half a million pounds to charity and spent money improving his council house.
‘I was left homeless’
In 2023, Stagg revealed he had become homeless and was living in temporary accommodation where he was not always allowed to have his dog with him.
“With Taz not with me I do feel a little trapped,” he said.
“It’s a terrible shock being homeless at my age. All I’ve ever wanted is a quiet life.
“I never had big ambitions but I certainly didn’t see myself spending my 60th birthday in a homeless hostel.”
Thankfully, the situation did not last. In his 2025 interview, Stagg revealed the council eventually found him a “very quiet” home where he is now “happy”.
Read more: New documentaries and true crime on TV and streaming this month
The Witness and The Murder of Rachel Nickell are available to stream on Netflix now.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think?