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Sinister signs from Claire's killer

Before he murdered Claire Hart, he had shown signs of something sinister to come.

Only five days earlier, he had told his parents that he had heard a rumour that he had killed a young girl, when no such rumour existed.

He had also shown a piece of cord to a terrified 10-year-old Thomas Higginson and his group of friends, and said: "This is for strangling people I don't like."

Shot, beaten and strangled

Smith's mother Patricia told Chester Crown Court that her son had behaved strangely in the days leading up to Claire's murder.

She said he had been too calm, except on the night before the schoolgirl disappeared, when the noise from his bedroom had been like "all hell had broken loose".

But these signs did not help 13-year-old Claire, whose body was found in the River Dane near Congleton, Cheshire, five days after she disappeared.

She was found face down in the river with a pellet wound to her head.

The youngster had been beaten and strangled - probably with her own school tie - before being flung into the river.

Smith, who was 19 at the time of the murder, was not an average teenager. He spent much of his time frequenting caves in his local woods near the river, fishing and shooting with his air rifle.

His other hobbies included bird watching, walking, and playing with remote control cars. He also enjoyed video games, which he had played with his father until 3am on the day Claire was murdered.

He had few friends of his own age - most of them were boys aged 10 and 11.

He told police he would spend time with children years younger than him, because he felt "out of it" and said he was picked on by others.

Tracksuit evidence

Smith's 18-year-old sister Lisa, who gave evidence for the prosecution along with the rest of his immediate family, said he had threatened to shoot her with his airgun during a row. Smith claimed it was just in the heat of the moment.

Ms Smith said that she and her sister did not get on with their brother.

He later admitted to police that he wished he had a brother as a companion.

Smith's father Steven said that after the murder his son had seemed in a good mood, and seemed more pleasant than normal.

But the teenager, who was not known for his personal hygiene, did something he had never done before when he begged his mother to do his washing.

She refused, and forensic tests revealed water from the Dane in his tracksuit bottoms.

Smith claimed his mother had lied and said he had not asked her to clean anything.

Detectives investigating the murder also found two "death rope" ligatures in Smith's bedroom, which he said he used to try to hang himself from his bedroom door.

Smith was arrested the day after Claire's disappearance on 18 June, and charged with abduction the day before her body was found.

He was charged with her murder on 24 June, the day after the body was discovered.

Relevant Stories

Loner jailed for callous murder (18 May 99 | UK)
Man denies strangling schoolgirl (12 May 99 | UK)
Murdered girl 'knew accused man' (06 May 99 | UK)
Man 'beat, shot and strangled' schoolgirl (04 May 99 | UK)

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