Prostitute in Archer case dies

Archer: Facing further court action

LONDON, England -- A former prostitute linked to best selling author and former prominent politician Lord Jeffrey Archer has been killed in a car crash.

Monica Coghlan, 50, died from injuries sustained when her car was in a collision with a car driven by a fleeing robbery suspect in northern England.

She was expected to be called as a witness next month when Lord Archer faces trial for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Lord Archer, 61, a novelist and former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, won a libel case against the Daily Star newspaper in 1987 over its report that he had paid to have sex with Coghlan, then a prostitute.

He is now facing charges over allegations that he asked a friend to give a false alibi in that case for the time he allegedly spent with Coghlan.

Sources at the newspaper said her absence would have little bearing on the case.

Coghlan was injured when the car she was driving collided head-on with a stolen car. She died in hospital on Friday.

Police said the driver of the other car may have been armed. He had held up a chemist's shop near Huddersfield and hijacked two cars before the collision, in which he was seriously injured. A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Lord Archer had no comment to make on her death. Archer is famous for his airport blockbusters, including "Kane and Abel," "A Matter of Honour" and "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less."

Archer resigned as vice chairman of the Conservative Party in 1986 after the Daily Star newspaper claimed he had sex with Coghlan. He then sued the newspaper for libel.

Though Coghlan testified that Archer had been a client, he won $800,000, and proceeded to rebuild his political career.

Archer -- now Lord Archer -- was the leading Conservative candidate for mayor of London in 1999 but resigned from the race after a former friend alleged he had agreed to lie about Archer's whereabouts on a night in question in the libel case.

Novelist Archer charged with perjury
September 26, 2000

Conservative Party

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