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FACTFILE
May 1980,
Kirton attempted to rape an 18 year old girl in Bacon
Lane, Frensham near Farnham, she was threatened with a
knife, pushed into scrub land by Frensham Big Pond, she
was then stripped naked and raped. She managed to escape
and ran naked back to her workplace at kennels close by.
Thursday
5th June 1980, 14 year old Clare Hutchison took
the same route to school everyday. Kenneth Kirton was a
painter and decorator, working on a house in Burnt Hill
Road Lower Bourne, he would see Clare on her walk every
morning.
On this day,
using his painters knife he grabbed her. He forced her
into his hire van and drove to the Old Frensham Road
wooded area where he forced her out of the van and
attempted to rape her.
He cut her
throat with his painters knife, and left her half naked,
face down in the mud, he made a vain attempt to hide the
body by throwing a few clumps of mud and grass over her.
Monday 8th
June 1980, a 16 year old girl was walking home in
Haslemere when she was approached by a man who
threatened her with a knife and tried to get her into
his van. The girl managed to escape when a passer by
intervened.
She ran home
and managed to remember the van registration number
which she wrote in lipstick on the kitchen table.
Later that day
Kirton was arrested, he admitted rape and murder. At
this time police did not know Clare had been murdered
they had her down as a missing person.
Kirton agreed
to show police where the body was.
Tuesday
10th June 1980, Police drove to the site. The body
was confirmed to be that of 14 year old Clare Hutchison.
Thursday
12th June 1980, Kirton remanded in custody for
murder.
31st
October 1980, At the Old
Bailey Kirton pleaded guilty to murder, and was
sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation
that he serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars.
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