Trial for woman accused of killing Danish banker Henrik Slotsaa

A woman accused of knifing a Danish banker to death at their home will stand trial in September.

Henrik Slotsaa’s body was found at an address he shared with his partner Joanna Cierpka, 51, in Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle, in south London on 16 March.

Mr Slotsaa, 52, had been stabbed repeatedly and had been dead for some time when officers broke the door down.

Cierpka originally from Gdynia, Poland, was taken to hospital where she told a member of staff: ‘I killed my partner.’

Cierpka appeared at the Old Bailey today (weds) via video link from HMP Bronzefield wearing a grey t-shirt.

She will next appear for a hearing on 15 July.

A trial date is set for 14 September.

Sarah Przybylska, prosecuting, earlier said Cierpka ’emailed a friend back in Poland, in effect, a suicide note.’

The friend passed the information to the Met Police and officers had to kick the front door in to get into the property.

‘The defendant was trying to cut her own throat,’ Ms Przybylska.

Cierpka told officers she was ‘useless’ and added: ‘I should kill myself.’

Ms Przybylska said the victim ‘had been dead for at least some time’ noting the blood around him had ‘dried up’.

Mr Slotsaa is originally from Denmark and went to Copenhagen Business School.

According to his Facebook profile he was employed by Citibank Europe plc and was in a relationship with Cierpka.

The Dane’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a ‘Senior Banker with a career of over 20 years across different aspects of banking, including loan administration and client relationship management’.