Trevor Dunkley jailed for Patricia Lashley’s 1998 murder

Trevor Dunkley was sentenced to life imprisonment at Wolverhampton Crown Court for murdering Patricia Lashley in 1998 and preventing her lawful burial. The 66-year-old pleaded guilty to both offences. The court set a minimum term of 10 years and 10 months before he can be considered for release. Dunkley confessed to police in July 2026, during an inquiry into Lashley’s disappearance. West Midlands Police said he told an officer, “I killed her. I’m sorry.” He said he had attacked Lashley at their home in Hall Street, Dudley, while she was in bed, and later concealed her body in the cellar. Police said Dunkley told investigators that Lashley’s remains stayed in the cellar for about a year before he disposed of them in household waste over several weeks. They said an excavation of the cellar found no human remains and that they consider it unlikely her remains will ever be found. Dunkley’s account of what happened to the body has not been independently corroborated. Lashley was 33 when she was killed. Her sister reported her missing in June 1999, after she was last seen around September 1998. Police continued to investigate her disappearance, and officers spoke to Dunkley in July...