KENNETH KIRTON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN FARNHAM AND FRENSHAM REVEALED

In May 1980, a series of brutal and disturbing crimes unfolded in the Farnham and Frensham areas, culminating in the tragic murder of a young girl. The first incident occurred in the early hours of May, when Kenneth Kirton, a man known locally in Farnham, attempted to carry out a heinous assault on an 18-year-old woman. The victim was walking along Bacon Lane in Frensham, near Farnham, when Kirton threatened her with a knife. Using the weapon, he forcibly pushed her into a patch of scrubland near Frensham Big Pond. There, he subjected her to a horrifying ordeal, stripping her of her clothes and raping her in the secluded area. Despite the severity of the attack, the victim managed to escape her assailant and ran back to her nearby workplace at a local kennels, visibly shaken but alive.

Just a few weeks later, on Thursday, June 5th, 1980, another chilling incident took place involving a young girl named Clare Hutchison, who was only 14 years old. Clare had a routine walk to school every morning along the same route in Farnham, a path she knew well. On this particular day, Kenneth Kirton, who was working as a painter and decorator at a house on Burnt Hill Road in Lower Bourne, was familiar with her daily journey. Using a painter’s knife, Kirton suddenly grabbed Clare as she passed by. Without warning, he forced her into his hire van and drove her to a wooded area along Old Frensham Road. Once there, he forced her out of the vehicle and attempted to carry out a sexual assault. During the attack, Kirton inflicted a severe wound, cutting her throat with his painter’s knife. The young girl was left lying face down in the mud, half-naked and bleeding. In a vain attempt to conceal his crime, Kirton threw handfuls of mud and grass over her body, trying to hide her from view.

Meanwhile, on Monday, June 8th, 1980, another disturbing incident occurred in Haslemere. A 16-year-old girl was walking home when she was approached by a man wielding a knife. He threatened her and attempted to force her into his van. Fortunately, the girl managed to escape when a passerby intervened, alerting her to the danger. She quickly ran home and, in her panic, managed to remember the registration number of the van. She wrote it down in lipstick on her kitchen table for police to record.

Later that same day, police apprehended Kenneth Kirton. During questioning, he confessed to the crimes of rape and murder. At that time, authorities were unaware that Clare Hutchison had succumbed to her injuries; they believed she was simply missing. Kirton agreed to lead police to the location of Clare’s body, which was found on June 10th, confirming her identity as the 14-year-old victim. The discovery marked a tragic culmination to a series of violent acts committed by Kirton.

On June 12th, 1980, Kirton was formally remanded in custody on charges of murder. The case proceeded swiftly through the judicial system, and on October 31st, 1980, Kirton appeared at the Old Bailey. There, he pleaded guilty to the murder of Clare Hutchison. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment, with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars before being eligible for parole. The series of crimes committed by Kenneth Kirton in Farnham and Frensham left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting the tragic consequences of violence and the importance of vigilant law enforcement.