Murdered daughter 'was drugged'

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The father of a teacher found murdered in Japan has said he believes his daughter was drugged before the attack.

Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22, from Brandon near Coventry, was found dead in a bath filled with sand on a balcony in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, in March.

The body of the Leeds University graduate was found when police visited Tatsuya Ichihashi's flat, but he fled before he could be arrested.

Police have been searching for the 28-year-old since.

Mr Ichihashi had reportedly asked Ms Hawker for English lessons a week before her death.

Fled apartment

They arranged to meet in a coffee shop in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo.

However, Lindsay never returned and her body was found in a sand-filled bath in the flat.

Police were led to his flat because Lindsay left a name, address and phone number at her home after arranging the lesson.

He fled his apartment when officers arrived to investigate him, losing his shoes and a rucksack in a chase.

Tatsuya Ichihashi asked Ms Hawker to give him English lessons

Mr Hawker said his daughter was a cautious girl and said he could not understand why she would have gone back to the Japanese suspect's flat.

Mr Hawker said: "We do not know what he said, we do not know what he did.

"I firmly believe she might well have been drugged in that coffee shop."

Mr Hawker and his wife Julia spoke in an interview on ITV's This Morning programme on Wednesday.

The couple are also preparing to fly to the US to film a documentary about the murder.

Mr Hawker said he and his wife could also identify with Gerry and Kate McCann whose daughter Madeleine went missing on holiday in Portugal.

'Justice for Lindsay'

He said: "We feel very sorry for the McCanns but they have got something we have not: they have still got hope.

"We have got no hope of getting Lindsay back.

"We are only doing what any other parent would do. We want justice for Lindsay."

Last week Lindsay's family started an international email campaign carrying a picture of her and Mr Ichihashi.

The email is called Don't Forget Lindsay Hawker, and asks for people to contact police if they see Mr Ichihashi.