Murder case solved 26 years on with DNA test of killer's son

London: A father of four yesterday admitted the abduction and murder of a teenager 26 years ago.

The case of Colette Aram, whose naked body was dumped in a field in October 1983, was the first killing to feature on BBC's Crimewatch.

But it was not until this April that Paul Hutchinson was arrested after being trapped by DNA taken from his son.

Hutchinson, a twice married 51-year-old, was due to stand trial next month but changed his plea to guilty on Monday.

He had been expected to blame his dead brother for killing Colette near her home village of Keyworth in Nottinghamshire.

Assaulted in stolen car

Gregory Dickinson, the prosecutor, told the court Hutchinson had pounced on his 16-year-old victim as she walked to her boyfriend's home.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that Colette was sexually assaulted, and possibly raped, on the back seat of a Ford Fiesta which Hutchinson had stolen.

He was armed with a bread knife and had spent several hours stalking lone women before coming across Colette. Her body was found a few hours later.

"Colette was abducted by force — her screams were heard by local residents," said Dickinson.

"She would have been alive and conscious when she was sexually assaulted in the car. The defendant then strangled Colette with his hands and abandoned her naked body in a field."