Life Sentence after Hammersmith Murder Confession

---

Police release video of moment John Paul told officers he had killed a man

John Paul confessing at Hammersmith Police Station. Picture: Met Police

A man, who confessed to a murder he had committed over 40 years ago, has received a life sentence after a trial at the Old Bailey.

On the morning of 5 May 2021, 61-year-old John Paul of Ladbroke Grove entered the Hammersmith Police Station and told a shocked female officer at the front desk that he had killed 41-year-old Anthony Bird, who was known to his family as Tony. Video footage of the moment has now been released by the police and can be seen below.

He told her that he had met Anthony, who worked as a porter and a barman at the Railway Tap pub in Bayswater, on the evening of 3 June 1980 and had been invited back to his flat in his flat in Kensington Gardens Square for sex. He accepted with the intention of robbing him and, having overpowered his victim and tied him up, he beat him with a piece of wood until he was unconscious. He came back later to steal more items. Officers discovered Anthony’s body three days later, bound with electrical cable and covered in marks and bruises. The property had been ransacked and a number of electrical items and alcohol had been stolen.

 

The confession was confirmed by fingerprint evidence from the original crime scene.

The original investigation into his murder failed to turn up any evidence linking a suspect and ended in 1981 although it was subject to regular review.

Despite his confession, Paul pleaded not guilty and went on to stand trial at the Old Bailey. After been convicted by a jury of murder last month, on Friday, 4 November he received a sentence of life imprisonment with a stipulation that he should serve a minimum term of 19 years meaning that he will be over eighty if he is ever released.

Tony Bird aged 18 or 19 at Aldershot duing his National Service between 1956 and 1958

Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Reeves, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said, “Paul’s sentence reflects the serious nature of his actions in 1980. They led to the needless death of a man who had his whole life ahead of him.

“The murder of Tony had been under regular review and although we had never given up on solving the case, the unexpected actions of Paul in May of last year, have finally allowed us to get justice for Tony’s family and friends.

“This was a vicious and brutal attack, carried out with considerable force. Although we may never know the reason for Paul’s actions that day, there is no doubt in my mind that the streets are a safer place following today’s outcome.”

She added, “A significant amount of work has been carried out over the years in order to establish the exact circumstances surrounding Tony’s death. I would like to praise the efforts of the team, particularly those who dealt with Paul in a calm, quick- thinking and professional manner at the time of his confession.

“Despite the long years since Tony’s death, our thoughts and deepest sympathies will remain with his family and friends. I can only hope that this result will start to bring some sort of closure after many years of unanswered questions.”

Tony's family said, "We came to terms with Tony's death many years ago but we’re pleased that after 42 years, his killer has come forward and has been convicted.

"Sadly, his brother died last year and was therefore unable to take comfort from the closure that the court case has brought.”

 

Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

November 8, 2022