A senior City banker has been found dead in his south London flat, with his partner remanded in custody after being charged with his murder.
Police were called to a residential property on Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle, at 2:28 pm on Sunday, 15 March 2026, following concerns for the welfare of the occupants. Officers discovered the body of 52-year-old Henrik Slotsaa, a Danish national and senior banker at Citibank Europe plc.
The Metropolitan Police, who are leading the investigation, confirmed a 51-year-old woman was arrested at the scene. She has been named as Joanna Cierpka, a Polish national originally from Gdynia, who lived at the same address.
Victim and accused known to each other
Detectives believe the victim and the accused were known to each other. According to public records, both Mr Slotsaa and Ms Cierpka were directors of the Metro Central Heights residents’ property management company, which is based at their Newington Causeway address.
Mr Slotsaa’s LinkedIn profile described him as a “senior banker with a career of over 20 years across different aspects of banking, including loan administration and client relationship management.” He was a graduate of the Copenhagen Business School.
Joanna Cierpka appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 17 March, speaking only to confirm her name, date of birth, and address. She was remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday at the Old Bailey.
The Metropolitan Police stated that Mr Slotsaa’s next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The exact cause of death has not been detailed publicly, but the charge brought is murder.
Appeal for witnesses
Investigators are now appealing for witnesses. “Detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward, no matter how insignificant it may seem,” a statement from the Metropolitan Police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting the reference CAD 2142/16MAR26, or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A grim context in the financial district
The death of Henrik Slotsaa marks another violent incident involving a finance professional in London in recent years.
In January 2025, Marianne Kilonzi, a 43-year-old Kenyan-born Citibank executive, was found dead in her Woolwich flat from blunt force trauma and head injury. Police at the time believed the suspect was known to her.
The killing also echoes several other cases from the past decade. In August 2016, 30-year-old banker Oliver Dearlove died after being punched on a night out in Blackheath. The assailant later admitted manslaughter. Two months later, in October 2016, 36-year-old London banker James Starkey was found tortured and murdered in a South African apartment while on a work posting.
In March 2012, Russian banker German Gorbuntsov was shot multiple times in an attempted murder outside his home near Canary Wharf, in an attack with suspected links to Moscow.
