Birkenhead teen Hannah Windsor was tortured by killer Adam Lewis, court hears

Nov 20 2012 by Gary Stewart, Liverpool Echo

TEENAGER Adam Lewis admitted murdering his 17-year-old girlfriend Hannah Windsor and dumping her semi naked body at a Wirral beauty spot.

Adam Lewis, 18, tied Hannah Windsor to a tree and tortured her with a knife before strangling her with a rope, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Lewis also admitted carrying out two counts of assault by penetration on the tragic teen who was discovered by police under a mound of leaves on Bidston Hill, near the Bidston Observatory, in May.

Lewis had been due to stand trial for murder, having had a plea of manslaughter previously rejected, but he pleaded guilty at the last minute.

Neil Flewitt, prosecuting, told the court that the chain of events which led to Hannah’s death began on May 11 when Lewis broke into the flat of his sister’s ex-boyfriend, on Orchard Road, stealing items including a pair of trainers and a BB Gun, and setting the flat on fire.

Lewis, who lived with his grandparents on Fairmead Road, Moreton, then went on the run, sleeping rough in woodland on Bidston Hill, fearing he was being hunted by police.

Hannah Windsor had known Lewis since they were both pupils at Clare Mount Sports College in Moreton, a school for children with learning disabilities.

They had recently reconnected and started going out.

She met him on Monday May 14 at the Grange Shopping Centre in Birkenhead where he sold a Playstation at the CEX shop and bought a sleeping bag.

At around this time Hannah, who lived at a hostel for homeless teens, had a meeting with a health worker and told her that her boyfriend was wanted by police for arson.

She told her she was going to tell the police where he was because he was ‘not a nice person’ and was warned not to approach him alone.

Over the next few days Hannah spoke to several police officers about Adam Lewis and went for a walk around the woodland with a detective but they could not find him.

The last time she was seen alive by a police officer was when a detective gave her the number for Birkenhead CID and warned her not to go near Adam Lewis.

Mr Flewit said: “When the body was discovered police found torn pieces of the note near to the camp site. It may be that the pieces of that note indicated to him that she had been speaking to the police.

“It may, in part, explain why he attacked and killed her.”

Hannah was last seen by her mum on Wednesday, March 16 when she told her she was going to visit a friend.

She was missed at teatime the next day and by Friday both her mum and the hostel noticed she was missing.

Adam Lewis meanwhile had been found sleeping under a bridge and was arrested for the arson and burglary from the week before.

He made no comment and was bailed.

As Mr Flewitt said: “It’s overwhelmingly clear that by the time of his arrest he had already killed Hannah.”

Upon his release Lewis confessed to his sister that he had killed Hannah, but then said he was joking.

Confused, she waited until the next day, Saturday May 19, and asked him if what he had told her was true.

When he said it was she told their grandparents and they phoned the police, who had already called to their house searching for the missing girl.

Adam Lewis was arrested again and said: “I’m sorry. I killed Hannah. I was drunk and she hit me. I strangled her.”

He led police to Bidston Hill and a mound of leaves and dirt.

Mr Flewitt said: “They found a pink and purple piece of cloth. When it was moved aside it revealed the face of Hannah Windsor who had been completely buried and was lying face up.”

A post mortem found Hannah Windsor had been tied to a tree and tortured with a knife. She had multiple stab wounds across her back and chest, including a fatal cut to a vein in her thigh. She had been sexually assaulted. She had been strangled manually and with a rope.

Mr Flewitt said the injuries would have caused ‘immense pain and suffering’.

He added: “At some point during the process Hannah Windsor died but the defendant did not appreciate this and continued to inflict further injuries.”

Lewis told police Hannah had attacked him so he strangled her to protect himself.

He claimed the other injuries must have been caused by someone else, to the open disbelief of her family in court.

But just last week he finally admitted murdering her.