Justice for Sarah after 30 years as killer convicted
A KILLER who bragged he had “got away with it” after being cleared of murdering an escort 30 years ago has finally been found guilty.
Lorry driver David Smith went on to commit a near-identical murder of sex worker Amanda Walker, 21, in 1999 after he was acquitted in 1993 of killing Sarah Crump, 33.
Both women were mutilated by Smith, known as Lurch due to his 6ft 3in height and heavy build.
Sarah’s late mother Pat Rhodes had warned his original Old Bailey trial that Smith would kill again, but he went free after his lawyer said police had suppressed evidence.
Police denied it and said they were not looking for anyone else.
Smith, 67, was yesterday convicted at Inner London Crown Court of murdering Sarah at her west London flat in 1991, after appeal judges had ordered a retrial.
Mr Justice Bryan will sentence him tomorrow. Sarah’s sisters Joanne and Suzanne were in court for the verdict and later said: “At long last justice for our lovely Sarah. If only Mum and Dad were here with us today to share this momentous occasion.”
Smith is already serving life for the murder of Amanda.
His latest trial heard that while on remand for her killing, he told an inmate he had been tried for murder before. The man said: “He said that...he got away with it.”
Smith was tried again after a change in the law on double jeopardy. He denied murdering Sarah but did not give evidence.
William Boyce KC, prosecuting, said her murder was part of Smith’s “escalating pattern of violent and sexual offending”. He raped a young mother at knifepoint in 1976 and imprisoned a woman in a car.
Smith lived with his parents in Hampton, Middlesex, and visited hospital secretary Sarah for sex.