Trevor Dunkley, 66, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years and 10 months for the murder of Patricia Lashley, a mother of seven, whose body he concealed in a cellar for a year before disposing of her remains in household waste.
Dunkley was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday (November 6) after admitting to the murder earlier this year. He brutally beat the 33-year-old while she lay in bed at their shared home in Hall Street, Dudley, in September 1998.
Body Hidden in Cellar
After the killing, Dunkley covered Lashley with bedding before transferring her body to the cellar. Detectives revealed that he later disposed of her remains by placing them in household waste over a number of weeks.
Nearly three decades later, Dunkley admitted to murdering Lashley, prompting officers to excavate the cellar at his former property. Photographs captured by police document the extensive search of the area.
Extensive Excavation
The excavation was so thorough because the cellar had undergone multiple renovations since Dunkley vacated the property. Specialist search teams were required to dig through the existing floor to access the original space beneath. Enormous bags of rubble were unearthed during the cellar excavation on August 19.
Dunkley, who was 38 at the time of the killing, told investigators he took Lashley's child to Social Services, claiming she had walked out on him and abandoned her baby. He stated he returned home to sleep on the sofa before going to work that night, and upon his return claimed she had not moved and "knew she was dead".
Confession and Sentencing
Dunkley alleged that Lashley had been abusive and violent towards him, which he claimed ultimately led to her death. However, police confirmed this account has not been substantiated.
Earlier this year, he confessed to the killing after believing West Midlands Police were "onto him". He told an officer investigating the case: "I killed her. I'm sorry". Footage subsequently captured him sitting in the back of a police vehicle, telling another officer: "My life is finished now... I'm getting locked up for life."
Dunkley entered a guilty plea to murder and preventing a lawful and decent burial following a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 11. He has since been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years and 10 months, which includes 120 days already served in custody.
