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Mon Oct 4th
The man accused of murdering Wigan teenager Louise Sellars was facing trial today.
Darren Ashurst, 25, of Back Lane, Appley Bridge, has denied killing the 15 year-old more than five years ago.
Louise, from Chisacre Drive, Appley Bridge, disappeared on the evening of August 13, 1995, not far from home.
Her body was found early the next morning in fields behind Billinge Hospital. She had been battered and strangled.
Ashurst was arrested in January as he drove home from a day's labouring work. He was charged with murder after two days of questioning by detectives.
Friends and family of both victim and suspect are expected to attend Manchester Crown Court for the case.
Louise's adoptive father Gary has pledged to be there for every day of the trial while his wife Elaine is understood to want only to be there to give her evidence.
Mr Justice Ognall is the presiding judge with QCs representing both sides, Mr Peter Gee for Ashurst and Mr Anthony Russell for the prosecution.
The trial is expected to last a month or more.
Friday Oct 13th
The man accused of murdering teenager Louise Sellars was re-arrested five years after her death when new technology detected his DNA on a cigarette end found
next to her body, a court heard.
On the opening day of his trial a Manchester Crown Court jury was told that Darren Andrew Ashurst had first been quizzed by police just days after the Shevington youngster
was found battered and strangled with a blue plaited rope in fields behind Billinge Hospital.
He had been arrested when detectives discovered that the alibi he gave for the night 15 year-old Louise disappeared
was false but they let him go after three days of questioning, the jury was told.
It was only when new evidence came to light-including re-examination of the cigarette butt- that they detained him in January
this year and charged him with murder.
Ashurst, a lorry driver, from Back Lane Appley Bridge, sat with a lone guard in the dock of Court number Three, smartly dressed in a dark blue shirt with black and gold tie
and a white handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket.
Outlining the prosecution case, Mr Anthony Russell QC said that 40 witnesses would testify for the Crown.
Among them will be Lorna Harrison who was
in Billinge Hospital's maternity unit on the night of Louise's disappearance and says she heard a scream; and Terry Iddon who saw a car answering the description of Ashurst's Ford Escort Turbo reversing into a track
and then driving off, close to where Louise would later be found dead.
The court was told that Louise knew Ashurst and he would give her lifts in his car. The relationship developed to the extent that they used
to meet at a scout hut, off Miles Lane before going off for a drive.
Mr Russell said that it "appeared that their relationship was more than casual."
However, in the weeks before her murder, Louise confided in
friend Kelly Morrisey that she had "tapped off" with another young man, Andrew Topping.
Mr Russell said that on the evening of August 13th 1995, Louise had been with friends standing at the Randall's Corner bus stop
in Appley Bridge and had appeared annoyed when Ashurst drove past and flashed his lights but did not stop.
Ashurst says he did see Louise that night and she had been talking to the occupant of a gold Capri car parked
at Randall's Corner.
At about 9pm she left her friends and visited Beverley Edwards in Broadriding Road and told her that a man had pulled up at the bus stop and asked her if she wanted a lift. She said that when she
refused he became abusive.
Louise was last seen at 9.30pm walking along Miles Lane away from her home in Chisacre Drive and back towards the bus stop.
Her body was found just after 6.30am the following morning by
off-duty policeman Keith Wilkes while walking his dogs. Mr Russell said that the post mortem examination revealed terrible injuries.
Not only had Louise been strangled with the rope which had been wrapped four and a
half times round her neck, she had also been badly beaten to the point that those wounds alone could have killed her. She had sustained what looked like stamping injuries and had suffered broken ribs, a fractured breastbone
and fractured jaw.
Among items found at the scene was a cigarette end, but in 1995 forensic tests were not advanced enough to identify a DNA fingerprint from it. Mr Russell said it was late in 1999 when the butt was
re-examined that science was able to link the saliva deposit on the cigarette to Ashurst.
The defendant has always maintained that he has never been to the murder scene.
The hearing was told that tyre marks found at
the scene matched those of Ashurst's Escort. And footprints discovered were tallied with a type of shoe Ashurst was seen to be wearing in a video of a family wedding he attended the day before Louise disappeared. Yet when
police later searched his home, the shoes could not be found.
Mr Russell said the rope, which is of a type used by BT engineers, was traced to a Joan Seddon who had plaited it in a special way for a skipping rope. She told
police that she had given it to Gail Hyatt, a girlfriend of the defendant, who in turn passed it on to Ashurst for use as a tow rope.
Shortly after police had finished at the murder scene, a watch was found just outside the
main search area and this was later identified by another of Ashurst's girlfriends, Sarah Robinson, said Mr Russell.
He added that friends had also noticed that around the time Louise died, Ashurst altered the appearance of
his car changing the trim from green to purple and removing a logo from the rear windscreen.
It is alleged that he asked Sarah's brother Christopher, to give him an alibi for the evening of August 13th because he was in
trouble with the police for stealing a gearstick for his car. He is also said to have asked David Barclay if he knew anyone who could steal his car and maybe burn it.
Mr Russell said police became suspicious of Ashurst when his alibi
that he was visiting his sister in Tarleton near Southport on the night Louise died did not check out.
Sat Oct 14th
The mother of murder victim Louise Sellars has given an emotional account of her desperation in the hours after her daughter went missing.
Elaine Sellars sat awake at her home all night hoping for news that her 15 year-old daughter had been found safe and well.
In a statement read out in court, she described how family and friends searched for Louise when she failed to come home at her usual time. She said that by 11pm she became worried and began telephoning round to discover where her daughter had got to.
She added, "I then ran out of ideas and began to panic. By 11.45pm I rang 999 and told the police I was worried because Louise had not been home."
Husband Gary, and one of Louise's friends, Ian Tyrer, went out to search the area and Mrs Sellars said that she spent the rest of the night waiting by the phone. Further phone calls were made in the morning but to no avail.
It was at 9am that police informed the family that a body had been found and positive identification was made by showing the family Louise's watch.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Louise left home for the last time at around teatime on Sunday August 13th 1995, having arranged to meet pal Kelly Morrisey at Shevington Late shop. Kelly said that they then walked down to the Randall's Corner bus stop in Appley Bridge, a popular haunt.
On the way Louise showed her a signet ring, given to her by new friend Andrew Topping, when they met at Park Hall, Charnock Richard, several days before. She said Louise wanted to give it back to him that night.
The girls stayed at Randall's Corner for more than two hours.
Under cross-examination Kelly said that a red Vauxhall Astra had driven up and down past the bus stop on at least four occasions while the pair of them were sitting there.
At about 8.50pm a gold Capri arrived driven by friend Adam Foster. Inside were three other friends of Kelly and Louise, Leon Bond, Marie Topping and Ian Tyrer.
Ian said that while they were chatting he saw Darren Ashurst drive past in his white Ford Escort RS Turbo and he flashed his lights. He added that Louise reacted by saying "thanks Darren," sarcastically because he had not stopped. Marie Topping said that she too had seen a white Ford Escort or Orion go past and Louise saying someone was ignorant for not waving.
All but Louise then left in the Capri to visit another friend. Louise said she did not want to come and crossed over the road as if to walk home to Chisacre Drive.
Tues Oct 17th
A woman who was waiting to give birth at Billinge Hospital told the court she heard a loud scream outside the building on the night Louise Sellars was strangled.
Laura Harrison had her third child in September 1995, shortly after Louise's body was found in undergrowth.
Mrs Harrison said she had been sitting in a television room watching a news programme at around 10pm when she heard the scream through the open windows coming from an area behind the building.
She told the court, "I saw the police at the back of the hospital the day after and they were around the same area where the noise had come from."
Terry Iddon, who lives near the hospital, was walking his two dogs on the same night behind the hospital. He described how the dogs had been attracted to a particular area of undergrowth as he walked past on two seperate occasions and how a white Ford Escort RS Turbo reversed towards him as he walked towards Park Road. Mr Iddon said he was concerned the car was going to run the animals over before it suddenly stopped and drove away.
Fifteen year-old Louise's body was found early the following morning.
Louise's friend Beverley Edwards, who lived at Broadriding Road, told the court that Louise had called at her house at 9.30pm earlier the same evening and asked her if she would accompany her to Standish Lower Ground to return a ring to Andrew Topping, who she had recently been seeing.
When Miss Edwards declined, Louise set off in the direction of her home in Chisacre Drive.
The court also heard evidence from Ashurst's ex-girlfriend Gail Hyatt. She gave him a piece of rope to use to tow his car. Their relationship ended in 1992. She never saw the rope again. Miss Hyatt borrowed the piece of blue plaited rope from neighbour Joan Seddon, who confirmed the rope found at the scene was similar to that which she gave to Miss Hyatt.
Weds Oct 18th
A friend of Darren Ashurst broke down in court as he admitted he had seen scratches on the face of the accused, on the day Louise's body was found.
The fourth day of the trial at
Manchester Crown Court was delayed by around five minutes as Michael Balcer was allowed time to compose himself. Mr Balcer said he noticed that as well as having a burn mark on his arm, a result of an accident at work, Ashurst also had
scratch marks on his face.
Mr Anthony Gee QC, defending asked Mr Balcer if his memory may be playing tricks on him and if he was sure he saw the marks, to which Mr Balcer replied, "He is a friend of mine, why would I make something like
that up?"
Prosecuting, Mr Anthony Russell asked Mr Balcer if he still considered Ashurst to be a friend. "Yes, I do." he said.
The court also heard from two friends of Louise Sellars who had walked in the direction of her house when they
heard the news about her on the day her body was found.
Kimberley Sumner and Susan Strang were walking along Woodnook Road after trying to phone Louise's home when they spotted Darren Ashurst at the side of the road in his white Escort RS
Turbo.
The pair told the court that another man, who they did not recognise, put a black holdall bag in the boot of the car, before getting in the passenger seat and driving away.
Both said they saw scratches on Ahsurst's face as he
turned to speak to the man who was leaning through the window.
The claim was made by David Barclay, who knew Ashurst through his girlfriend Desiree Riding, who was a friend of Ashurst's girlfriend, Sarah Robinson.
Mr Barclay told the jury how Ashurst had turned up at his home in Skelmersdale less than
a week after Louise was killed when he asked for help to get rid of his Escort RS Turbo.
Mr Barclay claimed Ashurst told him he "needed the money". He also recalled events on Monday August 14th, 1995, the day Louise's body was discovered.
He was one of a number of people at his girlfriend Desiree's house and became upset as they continued talking about the killing.
Earlier in the day the court heard evidence from Sarah Robinson, who was Ashurst's girlfriend in August 1995 and
from his father Joseph.
Miss Robinson told the court during a 90 minute cross examination in which she occasionally wept, that Ashurst was supposed to collect her from her Uncle's home on the night of Louise's death, but failed to arrive until
she contacted him at his father's house at 11.11pm
Joseph Ashurst described how his son wanted to clean his car on the same night. But they agreed he should go to a garage to save time.
Thurs Oct 19th
The doctor who carried out the post mortem examination on Louise Sellars told the murder trial it was the most severe strangulation he had ever seen.
Dr John Rutherford was giving evidence on day five of the trial at Manchester Crown Court.
He examined Louise's body where it was found behind Billinge Hospital and later at Wigan Infirmary.
Manchester Crown Court heard that the rope used in the attack had been wrapped around her neck four and a half times and she had suffered numerous other injuries including a fractured jaw, two chipped teeth and a broken rib.
There were also a number of cuts and bruises to the extent that those injuries alone could have caused death.
Dr Rutherford said, "In 4,200 post mortem examinations I have never seen a rope used with such force. The injuries are cconsistent with stamping and kicking. It would be difficult to cause those sorts of injuries with a fist."
The court also heard evidence from a forensic expert from Guy's Hospital in London.
Dr Vesna Djurvic said Louise had been subjected to a "severe beating". She said, "Louise could have recieved a number of stamps to her back as the rope was being tied around her neck."Darren Ashurst visited a woman in the Appley Bridge area carrying a piece of blue plaited rope in the weeks leading up to Louise Sellars' death the jury heard.
Jacqueline Benton, who now lives in Holland, described how Ashurst, who she had got to know through mutual friends, arrived at her home on his own with the rope.
Miss Benton said Ashurst told her about the problems he was having with his girlfriend Sarah Robinson before joking about the rope saying, "I'm going to tie you up and make you have it."
After hearing of Louise's murder Miss Benton decided to contact police and tell them about the night Ashurst produced the rope.
Defending, Mr Anthony Gee QC, asked Miss Benton if she had in fact lied about the night Ashurst went to her house.
"Did you think you would jump on the bandwagon for a bit of excitement?" he asked her.
"No," she replied.
The court also heard evidence from Christopher Robinson, the brother of Ashurst's girlfriend Sarah.
He claimed Ashurst visited him at work just days before Louise's death and asked him if he would provide an alibi if police inquired about a gearstick he said he had stolen for his car.
He also asked if he could borrow some tow rope. Mr Robinson gave him a large amount of blue nylon rope.
Ashurst spoke to Mr Robinson again just a few days after the body of Louise was found and asked if he would still be prepared to provide an alibi for him.
Robinson said he refused and told him "no chance" and contacted police when Ashurst had gone.
Fri Oct 20th
The jury in the Louise Sellars murder trial will visit the scene on Tuesday where the teenager was brutally killed.
During yesterday's proceedings at Manchester Crown Court, a forensic scientist claimed tyre tracks found at the scene of the murder matched those on Ashurst's car.
Gary Holcroft, who examined markings found at the scene and the tyres on Ashurst's white Escort RS Turbo, told the hearing Goodyear Eagle NC2 tyres were involved in both cases.
Mr Holcroft examined the tyres on 400 cars chosen at random and just six had the same as those on Ashurst's Escort.
Defending, Mr Anthony Gee QC pointed out that more than 500,000 of the same type of tyres were produced every year in the UK at the time of Louise's death.
Earlier in the day, the court heard evidence from a number of experts from the rope industry. They told the court how the rope used to murder Louise had been made up of three seperate pieces bound together by hand and could be traced back to a Grimsby firm who manufactured the rope for use by British Telecom in laying cable.
Earlier in the case Gail Hyatt, a former girlfriend of Ashurst told the court how she had given him a piece of plaited rope borrowed from neighbour Joan Seddon.
Mrs Seddon's husband had acquired the rope from a building site in St Helens where BT engineers had been working. Mrs Seddon said she had plaited three pieces of rope into one to make a skipping rope.
Geoffrey Wilde, who had been Ashurst's supervisor at the quarry where he was employed during the summer of 1995, told the court how Ashurst had arrived up to an hour late for work on the day Louise's body was discovered.
Tues 24th Oct
The man accused of murdering Louise Sellars twice lied to police about his whereabouts on the night of her death.
Yesterday, on day eight of the hearing, prosecuting barrister Mr Anthony Russell QC read through transcripts from a number of seperate police interviews with Darren Ashurst from both 1995 and earlier this year.
The court heard how Ashurst first spoke to detectives investigating the murder shortly after Louise's body was discovered. He claimed he had driven past Louise on the night of August 13th, 1995, before travelling to his sister's home near Southport.
He had earlier been to work and took girlfriend Sarah Robinson to babysit at her uncle's home in Shevington at around 8pm. Ashurst admitted buying petrol at Crow Orchard garage after dropping Sarah off and jetwashing his car there at around 10.30pm.
But, following his arrest a week later, he confessed he had lied about his movements in between visits to the garage, telling officers he had spent the night driving around Wigan alone in his white escort RS Turbo. He told police, "I thought you might think it was me."
"That you were the murderer?" he was asked.
"Yes", he replied.
In the same interview Ashurst denied having any knowledge of a piece of rope borrowed from ex-girlfriend Gail Hyatt which was similar to that found around Louise's neck.
But he later told police he wanted to change his story once again. He said he had actually been to visit a prostitute in the Bolton area, but he had lost his nerve and returned to Appley Bridge. "I didn't have the guts," he admitted.
Wednesday 25th Oct
The man charged with killing Louise Sellars was yesterday taken to the site where he is accused of strangling and beating her to death five years ago.
Darren Ashurst was escorted to the scene on land behind Billinge Hospital on day nine of the trial.Handcuffed to prison officers, he watched as members of the jury, who had travelled from Manchester Crown Court, waded through thick mud to inspect the area where Louise's body was discovered. They were joined by prosecution and defence barristers and the judge in the case, Mrs Justice Anne Rafferty.
The group had earlier traveled by coach through Appley Bridge, taking note of Ashurst's home address and also Randall's corner where Louise regularly used to meet friends.
Ashurst was due to give evidence from the witness box for the first time on the opening day of the case for the defence.
Mr Anthony Russell QC yesterday completed the prosecution case with readings from transcripts taken from final police interviews with Ashurst in January.
The court heard how Ashurst continued to protest his innocence throughtout questioning. He also denied going to the home of Jackie Benton with a piece of blue rope and saying "I'm going to tie you up and make you have it."
Ashurst was then quizzed over allegations he asked Christopher Robinson, his then girlfriend's brother, to provide alibis for him on two seperate occasions.
"I can't recall that, no, I believe it didn't happen," he told police.
Detectives then moved on to question him about jetwashing his car between 10pm and 11pm on the night when Louise went missing.
"Was the reason you washed your car to destroy evidence because you had murdered Louise Sellars?" he was asked.
"No it was not," said Ashurst.
ASHURST'S EVIDENCE
Darren Ashurst gave evidence on the second day of the case for the defence.
A packed public gallery watched as Ashurst, wearing a blue shirt and black trousers, made his way from the dock to the witness stand accompanied by a prison officer.
He went on to spend more than two and a half hours answering questions from both prosecution and defence barristers.
Defending barrister, Mr Anthony Gee QC, immediately asked 26 year-old Ashurst if he murdered Louise.
"No sir, I did not," he answered.
He was later asked if he had been given a piece of blue plaited rope by former girlfriend Gail Hyatt to tow his car and denied ever coming into contact with the rope.
He also rejected claims that he had visited Jackie Benton carrying a similar piece of rope.
Ashurst claimed he had gone to Bolton on the night Louise went missing to find a prostitute but he had not gone through with the plan because he "didn't have the guts".
Ashurst then described how he felt when detectives charged him with Louise's murder in January of this year.
He said, "I had just started to get on with my life and next thing it was back again-it destroyed me."
Under cross examination, Ashurst said he accepted a cigarette with traces of his own DNA had been found near Louise Sellars' dead body on land behind Billinge Hospital.
Prosecuting barrister, Mr Anthony Russell QC, said, "You smoked the cigarette at the scene of the murder?"
Ashurst replied, "No. That is not possible."
Ashurst was then asked why he had taken a second shower after returning from washing his car late on Sunday August 13th. Mr Russell said, "Was that part and parcel of the same thing? Removing traces of evidence?"
"No, it was not." Ashurst said.
Mr Russell then asked if Ashurst's prostitute alibi was in fact not true. "You lied because you are the person that comitted the murder," said Mr Russell.
"No. I did not lie and I did not commit this murder," said Ashurst.
Saturday 28th Oct
The jury in the Louise Sellars murder trial has been urged to find Darren Ashurst not guilty of killing the Wigan teenager.
Defending barrister, Mr Anthony Gee QC, in his final address to the jury at Manchester Crown Court, described
Louise's death as "every parent's nightmare", before going on to outline why he believes the man accused of killing her should be acquitted.
In a 50-minute speech, Mr Gee described Ashurst as "an ordinary lad from Appley Bridge and a young man of good character who had
never been in trouble before."
He continued, "Whoever did this to Louise Sellars must have worked themselves up into a frenzy. If that person was Darren Ashurst, no one close to him noticed anything different about him-no agitation and no nervousness.
"His parents and
his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Robinson, noticed no marks on him- absolutely normal.
"There was someone else in the area that evening acting in an odd manner. Beverley Edwards said Louise came to her house at around 9.30pm that evening, out of breath, saying someone she didn't
know had pulled up at the bus stop and tried to get her into a car. That could not have been the defendant."
Mr Gee then considered evidence relating to the cigarette butt found near Louise's body on land behind Billinge Hospital.
"We submit that this cigarette stub does
not prove that the defendant committed the murder," he said, before claiming that there remained the possibility of Louise Sellars, or another person taking a cigarette given to them by Ashurst to the scene. He also pointed out that tow other cigarette stubs were discovered in the
undergrowth nearby, both of which provided inconclusive evidence.
"We submit that in this case, the safe verdict and the right verdict is not guilty.," Mr Gee concluded.
Monday 30th Oct
The jury in Louise's murder trial was today being sent out to consider it's verdict following the two and a half week hearng at Manchester Crown Court.
The judge, Mrs Justice Anne Rafferty, was due to complete her summing up this morning.
During the case, watched by members of Louise's family, the court has heard the prosecution case attempt to link the rope used in the murder to Ashurst, as well as tyre tracks found at the scene.
Ashurst admits lying to police on two seperate occasions concerning his whereabouts on the night in question. He first claimed he had travelled to Southport to visit his sister before saying he had in fiact, spent the evening driving around the Wigan area.
Finally, he said he had been to Bolton to seek the services of a prostitute.
Ashurst admits he drove past Louise in his white Escort RS Turbo on the night she was killed, but told the court, "If I had done something like that I could not live with myself."
Tuesday 31st Oct
The Louise Sellars murder trial is today expected to continue after yesterday's proceedings were suspended because of the atrocious weather.
The judge, Mrs Justice Ann Rafferty, was due to arrive at Manchester yesterday morning by plane, but failed to arrive due to cancellations.
The jury of nine men and three women had been expected to retire to consider their verdict after her final summing up. The case has so far lasted more than two weeks.
FAMILY TELL OF FIVE YEARS OF HELL AFTER LOUISE'S KILLER IS JAILED
The family of murdered schoolgirl Louise Sellars this week described the man who brutally killed their daughter as 'one of God's rejects'.
Louise's adopted father Gary Sellars said the guilty verdict against Darren Ashurst had drawn a line under 'five years of hell'. And he said he hoped the outcome of the trial would serve as a warning to other child killers.
Ashurst, 26, of Back Lane Appley Bridge was found guilty on Wednesday of battering and strangling Louise to death.
Mr Sellars said, "This verdict should send out a message to would-be child killers that in the end you will get caught. Technology is far cleverer than you.
"Ashurst is one of God's rejects. He is now where he deserves to be but I have not changed my view that those who live by the sword should die by the sword.
"Like the judge said, Ashurst snuffed Louise's life out. She was a bubbly, lovely and athletic girl who had so much to live for. We miss her terribly."
Ashurst was found guilty by a majority verdict of ten to two after eight hours and forty seven minutes of deliberations by the jury.
BUBBLY GIRL WHO LOVED HORSES
Loiuse Sellars should have been celebrating her 21st birthday later this month.
Instead all her family have to mark the event are photographs and memories of a pretty fifteen year old who was denied a proper life in the cruellest and most brutal of ways.
She was born Louise Edith Lomax on November 10th 1979 to Christopher and Elaine Lomax. Her parents divorced when she was small and in fact her natural father was on honeymoon in the Lake District with his new bride Carol when Louise was murdered.
Elaine also remarried to musician Gary Sellars in 1985, and after living for a spell in Beech Hill, they set up home in Chisacre Drive, Appley Bridge. Louise, who was later adopted by Gary, is survived by the children he had with Elaine-Lee now 15 and Lauren who is just seven.
Louise struggled to settle in schools, moving several times before finding happiness at Shevington High where she made most of her friends.
Schoolpals and teachers described her as a bright and bubbly girl with an outgoing personality who had been studying hard for her GCSEs when tragedy struck.
She was beginning to show an interest in boys and liked to go clubbing with her friends in Wigan town centre.Police say she was part of a milieu in Appley Bridge of girls in their mid-teens who would hang around with slightly older boys who were often sporting their first cars.
Louise may have been showing more interest in men but her main passions were music and horses. In fact the latter pursuits took up much of her spare time.
She would spend hours with her pony, Tekay, at Ayrefield Farm in Roby Mill Up Holland and developed a reputation as an accomplished rider, winning many gymkhana rosettes. Louise also used to ride her mum's horse, Jarah, which was kept at the same farm.
She hoped eventually to become a PE teacher.
ASHURST...A MAN WITH A VIOLENT TEMPER
Darren Ashurst was a man with a vicious temper who often beat his girlfriends and once made as if to run one down with his car, police have revealed.
Such were his sudden rages that the bodybuilding lorry driver was once seen punching his own car window through.
But as far as criminal activities were concerned, he had a clean record apart from a couple of minor motoring offences.
As a child Ashurst was not a star pupil but neither was he an under achiever and police describe his intelligence as average.
He lived with his chronically ill father Joe and his mother Esther at the family home in Back Lane, Appley Bridge and police say that his family are good and decent people.
In the months before his second arrest his latest girlfriend, hairdresser Selina Carrington, had also moved in.
Ashurst had had a string of girlfriends, most of whom fitted a similar description of shapely bleached blondes.
After leaving school he did mainly labouring and haulage work on an occasional basis, the latter of which would take him all over Europe. He was known to get into financial difficulties but his dad would often bail him out. Ashurst's real passion was for cars and motorbikes.
He and Selina had been looking forward to the arrival of a baby but it was stillborn, a tragedy blamed by the couple on the strain put on the expectant mother by both the murder investigation and the alleged harrassment from Louise's family and friends.
Locally he was seen as something of a loner and a teller of tall tales, earning him the nickname of Billy No Mates.
