Who is Monica Coghlan and where is she now?

MONICA Coghlan was at the centre of a political storm in 1987, after it was alleged that she had slept with Conservative MP Jeffrey Archer.

Here, we look at what happened, and what Coghlan did after the incident.

Who is Monica Coghlan?

Monica Coghlan was at the centre of a political scandal involving then-Conservative MP Jeffrey Archer in 1987.

The Daily Mirror reported that Coghlan slept with Archer in 1987, something that Archer successfully sued the paper for in court.

However, Archer was jailed in 2001 after being found guilty of lying under oath during that trial.

She had been working as a prostitute at the time of the incident, something she gave up after the trial.

Following the trial, Coghlan took on a variety of jobs in order to help raise her son, including as a bingo caller.

What did she say about Jeffrey Archer?

She called Archer a liar in court during the original trial in 1987.

Coghlan blamed the incident with Archer for how her career as a sex worker ended.

She said: “Jeffrey Archer took everything away from me.”

She said that the ordeal had a knock on effect on her personal life: “I lost my home, my dignity, my self-respect, and any hope of a future.”

Was Monica Coghlan married and did she have children?

Coghlan was not married, but she did have a son with her boyfriend in 1984.

The child was named Robin and was born in Rochdale.

Coghlan raised him out of the public eye, and for the first 15 years of his life he was not aware of her occupation.

Where is Monica Coghlan now?

Coghlan was not able to face Archer in court.

In 2001, a month before Archer was due to stand trial for perjury, Coghlan died after her car was hit by a getaway vehicle.

Her Ford Fiesta was catapulted into the wall by criminal Gary Day whilst driving a stolen Jaguar S-Type.

She lay in the wreckage for an hour before being cut out.

Coghlan died from her injuries the following day in Leeds, aged 50.