Paul Hutchinson, the man who murdered Nottinghamshire schoolgirl Colette Aram and evaded capture for more than 25 years, died from a drug overdose in his prison cell, an inquest has ruled. The 52-year-old, of Gamston, was found unconscious in his cell at Nottingham Prison in October 2010, eight months after being jailed for the 1983 murder.
The inquest jury heard that Hutchinson had become increasingly depressed following his wife's decision to divorce him. He had been taken off suicide watch before his death, but no mental health professionals were present at the meeting where that decision was made. Prison officials said they now ensure mental health professionals attend such meetings.
Hutchinson abducted 16-year-old Colette as she walked to her boyfriend's house in Keyworth, bundling her into a stolen Ford Fiesta. He evaded arrest and remained in the area, writing anonymous letters to police about the case. Police used DNA from crime scene samples to track him down, and he pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court in December 2009, receiving a minimum 25-year sentence.
Colette's uncle, Michael Leighton, said after the hearing that the ruling did not make her death any easier to bear. Her mother, Jacqui Kirkby, added: 'We are never ever going to get closure because we never got answers and we never will. He never showed any more remorse and he took the coward's way out.'
