Tia’s sick killer should hang says dad

Speaking outside the Old Bailey, Steven Carter said he was pleased that Stuart Hazell had suddenly pleaded guilty to Tia’s murder, but did not see the conviction as “justice”.

Hazell changed his plea on the fifth day of his trial for killing 12-year-old Tia, which involved graphic evidence including a grotesque picture of the schoolgirl after she died.

Window cleaner Hazell, 37, hung his head in the dock as he changed his plea and jurors were asked to formally find him guilty.

Lord Carlile, representing Hazell, said his client wanted to make it known that “Tia’s family have suffered enough and he did not want to put them through any further stages of this trial or this process”.

Mr Carter said: “I’m glad that Stuart Hazell changed his plea to guilty this morning. The four days of trial here were very hard to deal with, hearing the vile things Hazell did to Tia.

“Hazell will be sentenced tomorrow. In my opinion it will not be enough. He should serve his time and then be hung.

“I do not see today’s events as justice for Tia, merely a legal conviction. I would now ask to be left alone so I can grieve and put my life back together.”

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Tia’s mother Natalie Sharp said she wants to meet Hazell and for him to answer her questions. She said: “I gave the ultimate trust to Stuart. I have so much I want to ask him.

“Sometimes I feel pity, but I want to hurt him, but I could never manage to hurt him like he hurt me. I want to meet him and I want him to answer my questions.”

During the trial, jurors were told how Hazell, the boyfriend of Tia’s grandmother Christine Bicknell, had secretly filmed Tia while she was asleep using his mobile phone, and had searched the internet for child pornography using terms including “violent forced rape” and “little girls in glasses”.

Her blood was found on a sex toy that was in the house, and on Hazell’s belt, and his semen was found on bed clothes in the room where she slept.

The window cleaner and convicted drug dealer had been in a relationship with Ms Bicknell for five and a half years, moving in just a week after they got together.

She said in a statement to police that Hazell, who had previously briefly dated Tia’s mother, was not somebody she “dragged in from the street”.

He repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, even giving a television interview claiming that he did not know what had happened to Tia.

Hazell’s criminal past included convictions for racially aggravated common assault in 2002, dealing cocaine in 2003 and possession of a machete in a public place in 2010, for which he was jailed for 12 months. He also had convictions for burglary and theft.

Senior investigating officer detective chief inspector Nick Scola said: “The conviction today of Stuart Hazell for the murder of 12-year-old Tia Sharp in August 2012 will, I hope, bring some closure for her family who have seen justice served. However, Hazell’s conviction will never bring Tia back and her family will have to live with her loss for the rest of their lives.

“Tia was murdered by a man who had gained the trust of Tia’s family and who, on that day, was tasked with looking after her whilst her grandmother was at work. Hazell abused that position of trust by planning an assault on Tia that ultimately led to her murder.

“The evidence was overwhelming and clearly Hazell realised he had no choice but to plead guilty. However, he put Tia’s family through a week of heart-breaking evidence in court and I wish for their sakes he had admitted his guilt sooner.

“Hazell is an extremely dangerous individual who poses a significant threat to young girls and it is only right that he should be imprisoned and removed from society so that he can no longer pose any risk.

“I would like to pay tribute to Tia’s family for showing such courage and stamina throughout this horrendous ordeal - from the time of the murder through to the conviction - and I truly hope they can move forward with their lives in the knowledge that Hazell will now pay for his crime.”

‘In mitigation, Lord Carlile QC told the court that Hazell had not wanted to cause any more suffering to Tia’s family by continuing with the trial, and so changed his plea as “an act of remorse’’, in the “bravest decision’’ he had made.

He said: “He did not embark to kill for sexual or sadistic motivation.

“Of course he accepts that whatever happened that night he killed her with the requisite intention to justify a conviction for murder.”

‘Mr Justice Nicol said he will sentence Hazell tomorrow morning.

Tia died on the night of August 2/3 last year but her body was not found until August 10, despite police searching the loft where Hazell had hidden her twice. One was carried out by a police constable, and the other by an officer with specialist training. Today commander Neil Basu said: “Both officers are devastated by their failure to find Tia and this case has deeply affected all those involved. The Pc voluntarily decided to remove himself from search duties.

“The MPS apologised to Tia’s family as soon as it became apparent that her body had been missed.”

Alison Saunders, chief crown prosecutor for London, said: “This was an appalling and unthinkable crime, made worse by Hazell’s efforts to hide Tia’s body and disrupt the police investigation. As an adult and trusted family member, he had responsibility for ensuring Tia’s safety. Instead, he abused and murdered her.

“We recognise that this is an extremely distressing time for the family and I would like to pay tribute to them for their strength and fortitude throughout this case. I hope that this prosecution provides some small measure of comfort for them at this time.”