Man, 66, admits murdering Dudley mother-of-seven who disappeared 28 years ago

A 66-year-old man has pleaded guilty to murdering a Dudley mother-of-seven in 1998 after telling police he disposed of her decomposed body months after killing her.

Read the full updated story here: Revealed: Face of murderer who killed his partner at their Black Country home then covered it up for 28 years

Trevor Dunkley also admitted a charge of preventing the lawful burial of Patricia Lashley, who disappeared near her home in Dudley, , in September 1998.

Appearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, Dunkley, of Himley Road, Dudley, showed no emotion in the dock as his barrister, Balbir Singh, told a judge that the charges had been brought based on a police interview.

Asked by Judge Michael Chambers KC if the victim’s body had been found, Mr Singh answered: “No, because this is 28 years ago and the body was put into the cellar downstairs.

“It decomposed.

“When he was moving about nine months to a year later the skeleton was disposed of into the bins.”

Asked if there was a basis of plea, Mr Singh said of the case: “It is down to what the defendant told the police when there was no evidence in reality of what had happened.”

Dunkley, appearing in the dock wearing round-rimmed glasses and a grey sweater, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 6.

Police have been seen at a property on Hall Street, Dudley over recent weeks in connection with the case.

Officers and forensic teams have been carrying out an extensive search at the building, close to the junction with King Street and opposite Cousins furniture store.

Patricia, known locally as Pat or Jade, was 33 and a mother-of-seven when she disappeared. She had moved to Dudley in the mid-1990s and was known to frequent the No Limits club and other pubs in the town.

She was also known by the names Jade, Vanessa and Tricia, and sometimes used the surname Bradford.

West Midlands Police previously confirmed that the search at the Hall Street property was connected to the investigation into Patricia's disappearance.

The renewed search followed the arrest and charging of 66-year-old Trevor Dunkley, of Himley Road, with Patricia's murder last month.

Dunkley was charged on July 9 and remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Patricia and Dunkley knew one another.