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A man has admitted guilt in the murder of a woman who disappeared nearly three decades ago, revealing to authorities that he had disposed of her decomposed remains several months after her death. Patricia Lashley, aged 33 when she vanished, was last seen in the vicinity of her Hall Street residence in Dudley back in September 1998.
Trevor Dunkley, 66 years old, entered a guilty plea for Lashley’s murder as well as for obstructing her lawful burial during a hearing held at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday. Dunkley’s lawyer, Balbir Singh, informed Judge Michael Chambers KC that Lashley’s body has never been recovered, affected by decomposition after initially being hidden in a cellar. Singh further explained, “When he was moving about nine months to a year later, the skeleton was disposed of into the bins.”
Throughout the brief proceeding, Dunkley, who resides on Himley Road in Dudley, remained unemotional in the courtroom as his legal representative explained that the prosecution’s case was largely based on a police interview. Following the hearing, Dunkley was remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for 6 November at the same court.
West Midlands Police have shared that Lashley, a mother of seven, relocated to Dudley during the 1990s and was reportedly acquainted with Dunkley. In 2017, her family renewed efforts to locate her. Law enforcement noted that Lashley had connections to several regions, including London, Newcastle, Wales, and Scotland. Locally, she was known by various names such as Pat, Jade, Vanessa, Tricia, and sometimes used the surname Bradford.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Chambers instructed that a pre-sentence report be prepared and urged Dunkley to cooperate fully with its development. He addressed Dunkley directly, stating, “You have had the courage to plead guilty to these matters and will get appropriate credit in due course.” The judge also reminded him that the penalty for murder is life imprisonment, emphasizing, “In the meantime you must remain in custody.”
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