Miss De Simone's partially clothed body was found in the back seat of her Ford Escort just after 10am on December 5 in the car park beneath the Tom Tackle pub in Commercial Road where she worked.

Mr Hodgson, who is also known as Robert Graham Hodgson, made various confessions to police before pleading not guilty at his trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Prosecutors relied on the confessions and match of blood type with samples found at the scene.

His defence team argued he was a pathological liar and that his confessions were false. He was found guilty on February 5, 1982.

Daily Echo: More in today's Daily Echo