CRAIG SMITH FROM BUGLAWTON AND CONGLETON SENTENCED FOR SCHOOLGIRL MURDER IN CHESHIRE

In a case that shocked the community near Congleton, Cheshire, Craig Smith, a man from Buglawton, was convicted of the brutal murder of 13-year-old schoolgirl Claire Hart. The tragic incident occurred as Claire was on her way to school from her home in Eaton, a village close to Congleton. Smith, who was 20 years old at the time, was identified as a social outcast with a disturbing fascination for young children and a history of exploring wooded areas and caves near his residence.

On the day of the crime, June 18, 1998, Smith encountered Claire along a footpath on the A536 road, which connects Macclesfield and Congleton. According to the prosecution, within minutes of their meeting, Smith subjected Claire to a series of violent acts. He beat her severely, shot her with an air rifle, and ultimately strangled her to death. After the assault, Smith attempted to conceal his involvement by disposing of her body in the River Dane, where it was discovered five days later, floating in the fast-moving waters.

During the trial at Chester Crown Court, the evidence against Smith was largely circumstantial but compelling. Prosecutor Patrick Harrington described Smith as a 'very dangerous young man' who showed no remorse for his actions. Smith had denied the murder, claiming he had met Claire on the morning she disappeared but insisted she had left him to attend her school, Dane Valley High School. However, the jury found the evidence convincing enough to convict him of murder after a ten-day trial.

Further details revealed that Smith had a history of odd and disturbing behavior. Just days before Claire's death, he had falsely told his parents that he had heard a rumor about killing a young girl, a statement that was dismissed at the time but later proved to be a chilling premonition. Additionally, Smith had asked his mother to wash the tracksuit bottoms he had been wearing on the day of the murder, and it was later uncovered that he had a pattern of associating with young children, even telling one that he strangled people he disliked.

Judge Maurice Kay, presiding over the case, described Smith as a 'loner' with a 'callous and brutal' approach to the crime. He sentenced Smith to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years, reducing the original 18-year tariff. The judge emphasized that Smith's dangerousness and lack of remorse warranted a lengthy sentence, although he acknowledged that Smith now claimed to remember what happened and believed that his risk to the public might have decreased. Nonetheless, the court made it clear that Smith would only be eligible for parole in 2015, and only if he could demonstrate to the parole board that he was no longer a threat to society.

In the earlier proceedings of May 1999, Smith was described as a 'loner' who spent hours exploring the woods and caves near his home in Buglawton. The court heard that he had a fascination with young children and had shown disturbing behavior, such as showing a young boy a piece of rope and telling him it was used to strangle people he disliked. The jury found him guilty of the 'callous and brutal' murder of Claire Hart, a girl who was described as friendly, trusting, and emotionally vulnerable. Her body was found in the River Dane, and her death was characterized as senseless and without any discernible motive.

Throughout the trial, Smith maintained a stance of denial, claiming he had no involvement in Claire's disappearance and death. However, the evidence, including his preoccupation with the scene of the crime and his prior statements, painted a different picture. The case highlighted the dangers posed by individuals with such disturbed personalities, and the community in Cheshire was left to grapple with the tragic loss of a young girl whose life was cut short in such a violent manner.