criminal born july gloucester england british killer serving life sentence murders women birmingham worker employed rainbow public house area city smith killed victims day period november rainbow carrying crimes victims mutilated recognition smith quickly identified killer overwhelming evidence linking deaths smith victim recovering gas met rainbow killing hours later thought setting body fire near recreation ground days later met mother public house drove rural location death drove body drove home hit care worker car fearing capture beat death bodies discovered soon murders carried smith contacted saying wished statement disappearance time body positively identified inquiries quickly established aspects account false murder inquiry named uncovered large quantity strong evidence smith denied responsibility maintained innocence trial began july later proceedings changed plea guilty sentenced life imprisonment motive crimes unclear police arrested believed lack permanent sexual relations contributing factor detectives investigated death woman colleague smith rainbow divorced mother ireland moved birmingham found dead flat october police treated death suspicious discovered connection smith body second post proved inconclusive january jury birmingham recorded open verdict hearing cause death determined background born gloucester grew city son wife née oldest siblings family lived neighbours serial killers fred moving road hill estate attended later went special school children learning difficulties family modest income situation worse smith father injured accident smith left school join toured extensively united_kingdom employed father worked season security guard smith moved gloucester ross lived female partner son children smith left family moved cardiff relationship difficult spent year ireland lodging travelling family took pity ireland told english gypsy visiting ireland allowed live rent free spare contributed portion unemployment benefit food asked leave uncomfortable sexual remarks young female members family moved birmingham end stayed briefly homeless moving property managed housing association road district birmingham known locally regular patron cafe road rainbow pub employed casual basis odd served unofficial taxi driver smith received criminal convictions minor offences beginning fined theft record included handling stolen goods driving licence violence weighing stone appearance soft accent considered gentle met interview following smith trial july proprietor said gentle giant named boots leave black marks floor ninety cent time dirty appearance looked like working car murder november smith met year old recovering gas birmingham rainbow public house seen leaving took hospital appointment later killed prosecutors believed flat dumped body near recreation ground near golden road set remains discovered morning november patrolling police officers body barely identified subsequent post concluded rolled carpet set fire days later smith met year old mother public house seen leaving drove death running body near spa found november man walking dog lane near junction motorway smith victim year old care home worker mother killed walked work smith hit car driving hip fearing caught smith moved location beat dental records required identify corpse body discovered november lee bank investigation initial statement staff rainbow told disappearance november smith police station castle saying wished statement significantly came body found positively identified hour smith presented castle detective constable later recalled smith phone said like come police station help inquiry seen saturday night leave pub unknown man insisted like come police station said asked contact police gave mobile number subsequent statement smith admitted rainbow male friend claimed later separated went public house male friend ejected smith said went nightclub left time later confronted man described boy argued smith said man aggressive asked wanted home claiming told said left evidence murder charge murder investigation named led sir chief constable west police included police officers support staff west forces detectives viewed hundreds hours footage gathered separate exhibits interviewed witnesses evidence analysed scientists birmingham scientist headed team spoke huge volume evidence team pulled strand forensic evidence create kind spider web centre years working deal evidence relation suspect overwhelming smith maintained innocence detectives quickly gathered evidence linking death women witnesses seen leaving rainbow person alive footage birmingham showed distinctive car visiting key locations linked investigation captured getting point visit chemist smith seen buying petrol filling station driving near area body later discovered seen camera struggling smith outside footage showed driving town close killing later film showed returning birmingham witnesses recalled seeing smith blood saw buying petrol spoke smith appearance smith told fight visible signs injury addition evidence witnesses cameras substantial forensic evidence linking murders investigators found dozen car clothing flat matching victims boots kicked jordan wearing time arrest smith tried clean clothes bath flat pair trousers belonging bag containing items belonging discovered outside detectives matched tyre marks car different types tyre murder scene body driven fragments glass found jordan body matched smith car including broken light cluster thrown car boot smith charged murder november custody following day time death linked killing police interviewed smith connection deaths jordan november charged murders days later awaiting trial smith held category prisoner high security trial sentence smith trial began july pleaded guilty murder charges case prosecuted smith defended opening day trial told court powerful compelling scientific evidence linking smith killings smith defence traces blood found clothes police evidence trousers belonging found flat bag clothes smith stolen outside shop july smith complained feeling chest eye pain cross examination proceedings briefly halted treated symptoms panic attack smith returned witness stand said wished speak presiding judge told answer questions smith replied want change plea fed want change plea charges read following day pleaded guilty july smith sentenced life imprisonment january birmingham sunday mercury newspaper reported smith decided change plea police agreed return confiscated raid flat arrest wanted money buy mars bars prison passing sentence said robbed innocent ladies lives suspect families suffer simply don understand brutality ladies deaths designed evade discovery showing dispatched clearly faced like man overwhelming nature crown case chose victims families misery compounded trial motive smith actions remained unclear trial police believed lack permanent sexual relations contributing factor inquiries result inquiries smith background police launched investigation death fourth woman discovered links year old divorced mother moved birmingham mid-1990s october employed rainbow cleaner look children found dead bedroom flat street police believed died natural causes autopsy failed establish cause death body returned ireland burial worked alongside smith rainbow pub west police wished examine cause death early investigators asked irish authorities new post march body cemetery taken dublin city examination ireland results autopsy proved inconclusive death held january hearing told marks found arm conducted original post sure died body seven days said despite connection smith police failed establish murdered jury returned open verdict police conducted routine examination murder cases dating years areas smith lived officers held conference october representatives forces including gloucestershire share information murder cases areas detectives interviewed smith times refused answer questions charges brought
Philip Smith (criminal)