Living next door to a murderer

By Clark Ainsworth
BBC News

Mr Martin was shocked when officers discovered Vicky Hamilton's body

A quiet and very normal man who told tall tales, is how convicted killer Peter Tobin seemed to his former Margate neighbour.

David Martin, who still lives next to Tobin's old house where the body of Vicky Hamilton was found, cannot believe how wrong he was.

Peter Tobin, 62, was convicted of the 17-year-old's murder at the High Court in Dundee.

The teenager's dismembered remains were discovered in Tobin's garden in 2007.

David Martin said his new neighbour appeared ordinary enough when he moved into the house in Irvine Drive in 1991.

He and Tobin shared an interest in motorcycles and regularly used to chat.

I was stunned because I couldn't visualise the normal man we knew then, well what appeared to be normal. I really couldn't equate the two David Martin

He said: "The first thing you realise about Peter Tobin is how normal he is. He's not something that crawls out of the woodwork even if that's what appears at a later stage.

"No, he's absolutely normal - like talking to your best mate or someone down the pub."

And because Tobin played the part of the prefect neighbour - he never played loud music, did odd jobs for people, and told amusing, if very tall tales - Mr Martin and his wife trusted him.

They even told their teenage daughter to go to Tobin's house if they were out.

'Saw him digging'

He added: "We did say to her at the time if there was any problem and we weren't at home just pop round and see Pete and he'll sort you out.

"On one occasion he did, he freed the back door for her. She said thanks very much and off he went."

Mr Martin now thinks he may have seen Tobin digging Vicky's grave.

He said: "I looked over the fence one day and saw him digging this massive hole in the garden.

"I said 'what are you doing Pete? Are you going for Australia?' and he said, 'no I'm digging a sand pit for the lad, somewhere for him to play'."

Two days later he noticed the area was filled in and "flattened off".

"I said to him 'what happened to your sand pit Pete, didn't it work out?' He said a social worker advised him not to have it because he said it was dangerous," Mr Martin added.

"I'd never heard that one before but I didn't think too much about it at the time."

'Body dismembered'

Seventeen years later police officers were very interested in the location of Tobin's excavations at 50 Irvine Drive.

Peter Tobin murdered Vicky Hamilton in 1991

In November 2007, officers excavated the back garden where the "sandpit" had been.

Forensic archaeologist Lucy Sibun said: "There was a thin layer of cement that had been sort of poured over the edges of and around the grave itself and then further down when we started removing the soil we found black plastic bags like bin liners.

"It was evident that the body wasn't complete, it had been dismembered. That's obviously more disturbing."

The body was that of Vicky, who was partially clothed and wrapped in several layers of plastic bags and cloth. Her mother's rings were still on her fingers.

'Just blended in'

Mr Martin, who gave evidence at Tobin's trial in Dundee, said: "We were extremely shocked, very, very shocked and quite upset for the family.

"I was stunned because I couldn't visualise the normal man we knew then, well what appeared to be normal. I really couldn't equate the two.

He added: "[There was] no indication that he was doing the things that he's accused of doing. Obviously they have found the body and that is it, he's got to face the music.

"He was a very normal man, he didn't bring a lot of attention to himself. He would do people favours, he would just blend in.

"He was a bit like a chameleon, in that respect, he just blended into the area. He never made a fuss, never caused problems, never brought himself to anyone's attention.

"You just don't know people, you just don't know," Mr Martin added.