MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDERING MOTHER OF SEVEN IN 1998

Trevor Dunkley, aged 66, has pleaded guilty to the murder of Patricia Lashley, who disappeared near her home in Dudley, West Midlands, in September 1998. Dunkley also admitted a charge of preventing the lawful burial of Ms Lashley, who was 33 at the time of her disappearance. He appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday and was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 6 November.

During his police interview, Dunkley told officers that he placed Ms Lashley's body in a cellar after killing her. He stated that the body decomposed over the following months, and approximately nine to twelve months later, he disposed of the skeleton into bins when he moved house. Ms Lashley was known to have used multiple names, including Vanessa and Tricia, as well as the surname Bradford, and had links to Newcastle, London, Wales and Scotland.

The case rests on Dunkley's account to police, as no physical evidence of what occurred has been recovered. Ms Lashley's remains have not been found. The guilty plea was entered based on the defendant's statements during questioning, according to his barrister, Balbir Singh, before Judge Michael Chambers KC.