Murder of Hannah Foster
Encyclopedia
The murder of Hannah Foster is a British
murder case where a 17-year-old student was raped, strangled and murdered after a night out in Southampton
in March 2003. Foster was murdered by an Indian Sikh
immigrant Maninder Pal Singh Kohli. Her body was found in nearby West End
, two days after she disappeared in Southampton.
, was abducted half a mile from her home in Hampshire on 14 March 2003. Having been abducted by Kohli, Foster secretly made a call to emergency services in the hope they would realise she was in trouble. On the 999
tape, Foster can be heard speaking to a man with an Asian accent. The tape was played during the later trial at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday 15 October 2008.
Foster's body was found in a country lane just outside Southampton two days later. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been raped and strangled.
Kohli fled to India shortly after Foster's body was found, and was later identified by investigators as a prime suspect in the case. After Indian police failed to apprehend Kohli, Foster's parents personally went to India and made a public appeal for information of his whereabouts. During their 10-day visit, Foster's parents held a series of press conferences as well as opening a telephone "hotline". Their visit soon became a subject of interest in the Indian press, and Kohli was arrested five days after their arrival. Hampshire police announced a reward of INR
5,000,000 to anyone whose clues led to the arrest of Kohli.
The key to the arrest of Kohli was information from taxi driver Jason Lepcha, hired by Kohli partly because of his understanding of English. Lepcha received a reward of INR
367,000. He used all this money to establish a school in Hannah's name. When visiting Darjeeling in 2006, Hannah's parents unwittingly hired Lepcha as their driver, and heard his story. On their return to England, they worked with others to set up a registered charity in memory of Hannah which supports Lepcha's school.
's Darjeeling district while trying to flee to Nepal
. While in police custody, Kohli stated he was "tired of running". On 28 July 2004, Kohli admitted to having raped and murdered Foster in an interview to a private television channel. Confessing to his crime, Kohli said that he was forced to kill Foster after raping her because she refused to cover up his crime. In August 2004, he retracted his confessional statement saying it was "not by my own will".
Kohli was held in judicial custody in India pending extradition
to the United Kingdom
; a final decision to extradite him to the U.K. was handed down ...on 8 June 2007. On 28 July 2007 Kohli arrived in the UK after being extradited.
Kohli was charged with the murder, kidnap, and rape of Hannah Foster after landing at Heathrow, following his extradition from India. He was also charged with manslaughter, false imprisonment, and perverting the course of justice.
On 10 December 2007 Kohli entered a plea of not guilty to the charges of kidnapping, rape and murder at Winchester Crown Court
, but he was convicted on 25 November 2008 of all charges and sentenced to 'life' in prison.
Crown Court and sentenced to life imprisonment
, with a recommended minimum term of 24 years, less two years for time already served in the UK on remand. Hannah's family expressed their disappointment in the sentence, hoping that the killer would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Under the trial judge's recommendation, Kohli is expected to remain in prison until at least 2030 and the age of 63.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
murder case where a 17-year-old student was raped, strangled and murdered after a night out in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in March 2003. Foster was murdered by an Indian Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
immigrant Maninder Pal Singh Kohli. Her body was found in nearby West End
West End, Hampshire
The Parish of West End in Hampshire is situated within the borough of Eastleigh, and to the north east of the city of Southampton. As well as the village itself, the parish contains the Chartwell Green suburb of Southampton....
, two days after she disappeared in Southampton.
Case
Foster, a promising A-Level student who had been preparing to study medicine at universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, was abducted half a mile from her home in Hampshire on 14 March 2003. Having been abducted by Kohli, Foster secretly made a call to emergency services in the hope they would realise she was in trouble. On the 999
999
Year 999 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland.* The Orsay commune is founded.- Asia :...
tape, Foster can be heard speaking to a man with an Asian accent. The tape was played during the later trial at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday 15 October 2008.
Foster's body was found in a country lane just outside Southampton two days later. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been raped and strangled.
Kohli fled to India shortly after Foster's body was found, and was later identified by investigators as a prime suspect in the case. After Indian police failed to apprehend Kohli, Foster's parents personally went to India and made a public appeal for information of his whereabouts. During their 10-day visit, Foster's parents held a series of press conferences as well as opening a telephone "hotline". Their visit soon became a subject of interest in the Indian press, and Kohli was arrested five days after their arrival. Hampshire police announced a reward of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
5,000,000 to anyone whose clues led to the arrest of Kohli.
The key to the arrest of Kohli was information from taxi driver Jason Lepcha, hired by Kohli partly because of his understanding of English. Lepcha received a reward of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
367,000. He used all this money to establish a school in Hannah's name. When visiting Darjeeling in 2006, Hannah's parents unwittingly hired Lepcha as their driver, and heard his story. On their return to England, they worked with others to set up a registered charity in memory of Hannah which supports Lepcha's school.
Arrest and trial
Kohli was arrested on 15 July 2004 in West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
's Darjeeling district while trying to flee to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. While in police custody, Kohli stated he was "tired of running". On 28 July 2004, Kohli admitted to having raped and murdered Foster in an interview to a private television channel. Confessing to his crime, Kohli said that he was forced to kill Foster after raping her because she refused to cover up his crime. In August 2004, he retracted his confessional statement saying it was "not by my own will".
Kohli was held in judicial custody in India pending extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; a final decision to extradite him to the U.K. was handed down ...on 8 June 2007. On 28 July 2007 Kohli arrived in the UK after being extradited.
Kohli was charged with the murder, kidnap, and rape of Hannah Foster after landing at Heathrow, following his extradition from India. He was also charged with manslaughter, false imprisonment, and perverting the course of justice.
On 10 December 2007 Kohli entered a plea of not guilty to the charges of kidnapping, rape and murder at Winchester Crown Court
Winchester Crown Court
Winchester Crown Court is a law court in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It is owned and operated by HMCS. The most high profile case to be heard there was the Rose West murder trial in 1995....
, but he was convicted on 25 November 2008 of all charges and sentenced to 'life' in prison.
Sentence
On 25 November 2008, Kohli, then aged 41, was found guilty of all charges at WinchesterWinchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
Crown Court and sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, with a recommended minimum term of 24 years, less two years for time already served in the UK on remand. Hannah's family expressed their disappointment in the sentence, hoping that the killer would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Under the trial judge's recommendation, Kohli is expected to remain in prison until at least 2030 and the age of 63.