Key Points
- A 52-year-old man, Colin Mann, has been charged with the murder of a 58-year-old woman, Tracy Davenport, in Leeds.
- Mann, of Cottingley Towers, is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 27 July 2026.
- West Yorkshire Police said Tracy Davenport was found dead at a flat in Cottingley Towers on Friday evening, 24 July.
- Police confirmed her family is being supported by specially trained officers.
- The Homicide and Major Enquiry Team’s investigation remains ongoing.
- West Yorkshire Police said they do not believe anyone else is being sought in connection with the incident.
- Officers said the matter is being treated as an isolated incident.
- Anyone with information, or who saw or heard suspicious activity at Cottingley Towers from 11pm on Friday, has been asked to contact police.
- Reports can be made via 101 or online using crime reference number 13260422675.
- Further reporting indicated that Mann later appeared in court, where no bail application was made and he was remanded into custody to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, 29 July 2026.
Leeds (The Leeds Times) 28 July 2026 – A man has been charged with the murder of a woman in Cottingley Towers after police recovered her body from a flat in the Leeds complex on Friday evening, in a case that has prompted a continuing homicide investigation and renewed appeals for witnesses to come forward.
What happened in Cottingley Towers?
As reported by the West Yorkshire Police statement carried by multiple local outlets, emergency services were called to Cottingley Towers at about 11.40pm on Friday, 24 July, after concerns were raised about people inside the property.
Officers attended the address and found the body of a 58-year-old woman, later named as Tracy Davenport. Police said she was confirmed dead at the scene.
West Yorkshire Police then launched a murder investigation, with detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team taking over the case.
The force later said a 52-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder and remained in custody while inquiries continued.
Who has been charged?
According to the police statement quoted by local reporting, Colin Mann, aged 52, of Cottingley Towers, has now been charged with the murder of Tracy Davenport, aged 58. In the wording carried in one report, police said Mann “self defines as white, British”, and that he would appear before the morning session of Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 27 July 2026.
Further coverage from court reporters said Mann made his first appearance at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.
He was asked several times to confirm his name and date of birth before eventually nodding to confirm both, and he was described as wearing prison-issue grey clothing.
What did police say?
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Eleanor Buchanan of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team said the incident was being treated as serious and that officers were still investigating the full circumstances. She said specially trained officers were supporting the victim’s family.
Police also said they believed the incident was isolated and that they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the matter. That position was repeated in subsequent reporting on the charging decision and court appearance.
What happened in court?
Court reporting published on 27 July said Mann was remanded back into custody after his first appearance and was due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, 29 July. The reports added that no bail application was made during the brief hearing.
The hearing itself was short, and according to the court account, Mann’s appearance was procedural, with the legal process now moving from the magistrates’ court stage to the Crown Court.
What happens next?
The next stage of the case is the Crown Court hearing, where the murder charge will continue through the criminal justice process.
At this stage, the defendant remains innocent until proven guilty, and no details beyond those in the police and court reports have been publicly set out here.
Police have also kept open their request for information from the public, particularly from anyone who was at or near Cottingley Towers around the time of the incident.
Are police still seeking witnesses?
Yes. West Yorkshire Police asked anyone with information, or anyone who saw or heard suspicious activity at the flats from 11pm on Friday evening, to contact the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team.
They said reports could be made by calling 101 or using LiveChat online, quoting crime number 13260422675. That appeal remains part of the wider investigation as detectives continue to examine the circumstances surrounding Tracy Davenport’s death.
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Why is this case important locally?
The case has drawn attention because it involved a fatal incident in a residential tower block in Leeds and resulted in a murder charge within days of the discovery of the body. It also prompted a formal police appeal, family liaison support, and a rapid court process.
Local coverage has focused on the timeline from the emergency call on Friday night to the charge and first court appearance on Monday, showing how quickly the investigation progressed.
What should readers know?
At present, the publicly reported facts are that Tracy Davenport was found dead at Cottingley Towers on Friday evening, 24 July; Colin Mann has been charged with her murder; and police are continuing their inquiry. The force says no one else is being sought.
