LONDON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A man fired from a London Internet company was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for killing a ex-colleague who caught him stealing laptops.
Matthew Fagan, 33, a U.S. citizen, must serve at least 26 years, The Times of London reported.
Judge Brian Barker described the victim, Catherine Marlow, as a "popular and conscientious employee" of Research Now.
"She made a fateful decision to go to work on a Saturday," Barker said. "Her diligence cost her her life."
Marlow, who had shared an office with Fagan before he was fired, caught him stealing when she showed up at the office unexpectedly in January 2007. Fagan had been fired nine months earlier.
Fagan admitted stealing computers but denied the killing. He was treated at a hospital for a head injury he claimed he received when he was mugged.
A jury found Fagan guilty after less than five hours of deliberations.
Marlow's father, who had come from New Zealand for the trial, and other relatives cried as they heard the verdict.
