A woman who evaded capture for 30 years following a series of armed robberies has been sentenced to a significant prison term, closing a cold case that had frustrated law enforcement for decades. The individual, identified as 58-year-old Linda Cunningham, was apprehended last week in a quiet suburb of Manchester, ending a life on the run that spanned multiple continents.
Cunningham's criminal spree occurred between 1993 and 1994, when she participated in a series of armed robberies targeting banks and post offices across the Midlands. Using a disguise and a sawn-off shotgun, she and an accomplice netted over £500,000 in cash, terrorising staff and customers. After the final heist, she vanished, leaving behind a false identity and a trail of dead ends.
Her capture came through a combination of advances in facial recognition technology and a tip-off from a member of the public who recognised her from a Crimewatch reconstruction. When arrested, she had assumed the name Sarah Jenkins and was working as a part-time librarian. Extradition from Spain, where she had lived for 20 years, was swift.
At sentencing, the judge described her crimes as 'brutal and calculated', noting the lasting psychological damage inflicted on victims. Cunningham showed no emotion as she was led away to begin her 15-year sentence. For the victims, the closure is overdue but welcome.
This case is a stark reminder that time does not erase justice, only delays it. The rapid pace of technological progress in surveillance and forensics ensures that even the most elusive fugitives eventually run out of road.
