Trevor Dunkley, 66, has been jailed for life after admitting to killing his partner Patricia Lashley, 33, in Dudley in 1998. He kept her body in the cellar of their home for a year before disposing of her remains in the household waste bin.
Discovery and Confession
Police have released photographs from the cellar of a house where a woman was hidden for a year after being murdered by her partner. Trevor Dunkley, 66, has been jailed for life for the murder of Patricia Lashley, a mother of seven who was killed at the couple's home in Dudley in September 1998. Officers said Dunkley moved the 33-year-old's body to the cellar after killing her and later disposed of her remains through household waste over a number of weeks, Birmingham Live reports.
The case was solved nearly 30 years later when Dunkley confessed to the killing. His admission led detectives to search the cellar at his former home in Hall Street, where specialist teams carried out extensive excavations.
Extensive Excavation
BirminghamLive understands that the excavation was so extensive because the cellar had undergone several renovations since Dunkley vacated the property. Specialist search teams were therefore required to dig through the existing floor to reach the original space beneath.
Large bags of rubble were removed during the excavation of the cellar on 19 August. The killer, who was 38 years old at the time of the murder, told detectives he took Patricia's child to Social Services, claiming she had left him and abandoned her baby, according to police.
Dunkley's Claims and Sentencing
Dunkley stated he returned home to sleep on the sofa before leaving for work that night, and upon his return claimed she had not moved and "knew she was dead". Dunkley claimed Patricia had been abusive and violent towards him, ultimately leading to her death.
However, police stated this has not been corroborated. Earlier this year he confessed to the killing, believing that West Midlands Police were "onto him". He told an officer investigating the case: "I killed her. I'm sorry". Footage subsequently showed him sitting in the back of a police car, telling another officer: "My life is finished now... I'm getting locked up for life."
Dunkley pleaded guilty to murder and preventing a lawful and decent burial following a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 11. He has since been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years and 10 months, which includes 120 days already spent in custody.
