Man guilty of London murder 30 years after he was cleared

A man has been found guilty of murdering a woman in London, 30 years after he was previously cleared of the crime.

The court heard David Smith boasted that he'd 'got away' with killing Sarah Crump at her flat in Southall in 1991, while on remand for a near identical murder which he's now serving life for.

The 67 year old showed no emotion as he was convicted, after Court of Appeal judges ordered a retrial.

He'll be sentenced on Friday.

Ms Crump's older sisters Joanne Platt and Suzanne Wright, who were in court for the verdict, said in a short statement: "At long last justice for our lovely Sarah.

"If only mum and dad were here with us today to share this momentous occasion.

"After the disheartening acquittal at the Old Bailey in 1993, our Mum said that Smith would kill again.

"Eight years later, he was found guilty of an even more savage murder and mutilation of a young woman and mother, which he later admitted.

"Thirty years may have passed but we still miss Sarah - she was a shining light in a murky world who wished for the best but found the worst in humanity."

Smith is already serving a life sentence for Ms Walker's murder after being found guilty in 1999.

His latest trial heard that while on remand, awaiting trial for Ms Walker's murder, Smith boasted to another inmate he had already faced trial for murder at the Old Bailey but had "walked".

"He said that they got no evidence on him and that he got away with it," the prisoner said.

Smith's case was referred to the Court of Appeal and was sent for a fresh trial following a change in the law on double jeopardy in 2003.

He denied a single charge of murder but did not give evidence.

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