Facebook lure as 'nice looking boy' was killer

Peter Chapman tricked 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall into meeting him after creating on Facebook a fictitious profile of a teenager who lived near her in a "calculated and wicked" plan.

The 33-year-old posted photographs of a teenage boy he called Peter Cartwright onto his profile and pretended to be him.

He later pretended to be Peter's father when he messaged her telling her he would collect her for a visit so he could persuade her to get into his car.

After kidnapping the 17-year-old Darlington college student on October 25, last year, he drove her to an area off the A177 near Sedgefield, County Durham, where he raped and suffocated her.

Chapman, of no fixed address , was jailed for life and told he would serve at least 35 years after he changed his plea to guilty at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. Chapman had previously been jailed for raping two prostitutes in 1996.

Last night Ashleigh's mother warned of the dangers of meeting people on social networking sites.

Andrea Hall said: "What could I have done? She was 17. You don't stop your kids from going out. You tell them to be careful.

"He was a nice looking boy. I couldn't have stopped it and I wouldn't have stopped it.

"The message is for people just to be careful. Please just be careful. Make sure you please do tell somebody if you are going to meet a person. That is the message, don't go on your own."

Prosecutor Graham Reeds QC told Teesside Crown Court Chapman was obsessed with sex and was using the internet to persuade Ashleigh to meet him.

"Having invented 19-year-old Peter to make contact with girls he now decided to invent Peter's dad in order to persuade Ashleigh that it was safe to get into his car," Mr Reeds said. "The plan he devised was calculated and wicked, and it worked."

Chapman persuaded her she could stay overnight and she would be collected by his "dad". He spent the early part of October 25 – the day of her murder – visiting the area where he was to eventually take her.

"Having organised the 'Pete's dad' cover story, having researched the location of the intended crime scene and having just travelled to the area to check it, the defendant had now sprung the trap," the barrister told the court. "All he had to do now was wait for her to fall into it."

Pretending to be Pete's father, Chapman texted Ashleigh and wrote: "Hi hun its pete's dad are you sure you don't mind me picking you up? Pete is really looking foreward to seeing you and yes its ok for you to stay."

A few seconds later, Ashleigh replied: "No its fine I dnt mind I trust him so I trust u and thank u."

A short time later he sent her another text message, pretending to be Pete, which said: "Me dad's on his way babe he says excuse the state of him lol He's been at work lol he doesn't have to come in and meet your mum does he lol he'll be a mess probably lol oh and are you wearin some sexy underwear for me hehe x."

She replied: "Okaii babe and no he doesn't lol and its okaii haha, wat car has he got and u will have to wait and see wnt u ;) x x."

Chapman drove Ashleigh to an area off the A177 at Thorpe Larches where the prosecutor told the court she was forced to perform a sex act upon him. She was bound and gagged with duct tape, and then raped. After the rape, further tape was put over her face, suffocating her.

Purely by chance, Chapman was arrested the following day for motoring offences. He later led police to where he had dumped her body and claimed they had consensual sex and she had accidentally suffocated. But the used duct tape with her hair on it was found in his car.

Judge Peter Fox, the Recorder of Middlesbrough said: "You were at the time, and have been for some considerable time, a very great danger to young women and, for what it is worth, I cannot foresee your release."

Judge Fox also imposed concurrent 10-year sentences for rape and kidnap.

Rules and warnings on online dangers

The horrific case of Ashleigh Hall's murder served as a reminder of the dangers of the internet, the detective who led the inquiry said.

In response to the tragedy, her friends have drawn up a list, known as Ashleigh's Rules, for safe use of social networking sites.

Chief Supt Andy Reddick warned: "The internet is a great thing but young people who go online can easily fall prey to the scheming, devious tricks of predatory paedophiles and perverts who, sadly, are all too willing to prey on the naive and vulnerable."

Friends of Ashleigh launched an internet safety campaign in her memory with rules urging internet users to meet people they contact online in public and with friends; to tell people what they are doing and who they are meeting; not to accept anyone on social networking sites that they don't know; never to trust anyone they only know online; to never give away personal details to strangers online; and to never meet anyone they don't know.