Kohli guilty of murdering Hannah (From Bournemouth Echo)

Kohli guilty of murdering Hannah

12:36pm Tuesday 25th November 2008 in Search By Daily Echo reporter

MANINDER Pal Singh Kohli has today been found guilty of the brutal murder of teenager Hannah Foster.

After a day of deliberations jurors reached unanimous verdicts for the abduction, false imprisonment, rape and murder of the 17-year-old.

Father of two Kohli stood motionless in the dock as the foremen revealed they had found him guilty of all charges.

The 41-year-old now faces life behind bars for the horrifying crimes in 2003.

A-level student Hannah, who was set to become a doctor, was snatched from the street as she walked home from a night out with friends.

Kohli grabbed her as she walked the final few yards to her house on Grosvenor Road in Portswood before bundling her into his van that he used to deliver sandwiches for a company in Empress Road, Southampton.

Her body was found after a young boy saw it lying in brambles at the side of Allington Lane, West End, two days later on March 16 2003.

A major murder hunt was launched but Kohli had already fled the country to his native India where he went on the run.

He was only caught when Hannah’s parents Hillary and Trevor Foster made an emotional visit to the country in July 2004 to appeal for information on his whereabouts.

A £70,000 reward was put up and a special call centre opened and within hours several people had telephoned with information.

Kohli was finally arrested by Indian police on July 15 at a bus stop as he waited to cross the border to Nepal.