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Man guilty of teenager's 1993 murder Man guilty of teenager's 1993 murder
(35 minutes later)
Former milkman Colin Ash-Smith, 46, has been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Claire Tiltman in Kent in 1993. A knife-obsessed loner has been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Claire Tiltman in Kent in 1993.
She was stabbed repeatedly in an alleyway in Greenhithe as she was on the way to visit a friend. Colin Ash-Smith stabbed her repeatedly in an alleyway in Greenhithe as she was on her way to visit a friend.
Ash-Smith was already serving life sentences for attacks on two women, close to where Claire was killed. Ash-Smith, 46, was already serving three life sentences for attacks on two women, near to where Claire was killed.
Claire, who was studying for her GCSEs at Dartford Grammar School, was murdered four days after her 16th birthday. Claire, who was studying for her GCSEs at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, was murdered four days after her 16th birthday.
The jury at the Inner London Crown Court took three hours to reach their verdict. The jury at the Inner London Crown Court took three hours to reach its verdict.
'Strived for justice' 'Ruthless, dangerous man'
Claire's parents, Linda and Cliff, died before her killer could be brought to justice.Claire's parents, Linda and Cliff, died before her killer could be brought to justice.
Her friend, Emma Edwards, said: "Her parents strived to get justice for her for so long, and although they are not here to see it in person they never gave up.Her friend, Emma Edwards, said: "Her parents strived to get justice for her for so long, and although they are not here to see it in person they never gave up.
"To finally have seen justice through is a huge relief."To finally have seen justice through is a huge relief.
"We wanted to make sure her memory lived on, and she wasn't forgotten.""We wanted to make sure her memory lived on, and she wasn't forgotten."
Ash-Smith was arrested just hours after attacking a 21-year-old woman with a knife in Greenhithe in October 1995. Jaswant Narwal, chief Crown prosecutor for the south east, said: "Colin Ash-Smith is a ruthless and dangerous man with a history of committing violent offences against women.
"He believed that he could evade justice for more than 20 years, but he was wrong.
"For all these years he thought he could hide behind the lack of forensic, identification or other direct evidence linking him to the murder."
He said Ash-Smith's "arc of offending" - the increasing ferocity and severity of his attacks over the years - had been central to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) case, one of the most complex cases it had dealt with in recent years.
School tie found
Former milkman Ash-Smith was arrested just hours after attacking a 21-year-old woman with a knife in Greenhithe in October 1995.
In a search of his Ford Capri half a school tie was found which had been used in the rape, kidnap and attempted murder of a 27-year-old woman in Swanscombe in December 1988.In a search of his Ford Capri half a school tie was found which had been used in the rape, kidnap and attempted murder of a 27-year-old woman in Swanscombe in December 1988.
After a 21-year investigation into Claire's death, Ash-Smith was arrested in February and charged with her murder.After a 21-year investigation into Claire's death, Ash-Smith was arrested in February and charged with her murder.
Det Supt Rob Vinson from Kent Police said: "Every single one of the Kent Police officers who have worked on this case over the last two decades have refused to allow Claire's killer to go unaccounted for and escape justice.Det Supt Rob Vinson from Kent Police said: "Every single one of the Kent Police officers who have worked on this case over the last two decades have refused to allow Claire's killer to go unaccounted for and escape justice.
"The investigation team has meticulously built this case over a number of years.""The investigation team has meticulously built this case over a number of years."
'Beautiful, funny and ambitious'
Officers investigating Claire's murder found that during Ash-Smith's time in prison for the 1988 and 1995 attacks he had befriended a fellow prisoner and confessed to attacking someone he saw using a zebra crossing.
The prisoner assumed Ash-Smith was confessing to one of the crimes he was already convicted of.
But police established there while there was no such crossing near the scenes of the two attacks, there was one just a few hundred yards from where Claire was killed.
In a statement the Justice for Claire group said: "Today we finally know who murdered her. What we will never understand is why.
"Claire, or Tilt as we knew her, was unique. She drew people to her. She was beautiful, funny and ambitious with an amazing sense of humour which will always live in our memories.
"Today we want to reclaim our friend and remember her for the wonderful person she was rather than what happened to her."