Man convicted of 1991 Southall murder thanks to double jeopardy law
Mon 22 May 2023
David Smith was found guilty of the murder of 33-year-old Sarah Crump on Wednesday, 24 May 2023 at Inner London Crown Court. It is significant to mention that Smith had previously been acquitted of Sarah's murder during the original trial in 1993.
Following Smith's acquittal, he proceeded to commit another act of murder in 1999, taking the life of a 21-year-old woman named Amanda Walker. Later that same year, Smith was convicted for this crime and has been serving his prison sentence ever since.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Casework Team, a dedicated unit for investigating cold case homicides, conducted a re-investigation of Sarah's murder. It is as a result of this re-investigation that Smith has now been convicted for her murder.
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Reeves said: "David Smith has finally been held to account for this horrific attack he committed over 30 years ago – a crime he thought he had got away with."
"After so many years, it is hugely satisfying that Smith has been brought to justice for Sarah’s murder. My thoughts today are with Sarah’s family and also with the family of Amanda Walker, the young woman who Smith murdered in terrible circumstances in 1999, six years after he was acquitted by a court for murdering Sarah. Both Sarah and Amanda’s families have shown incredible strength, dignity and courage. I can only imagine how difficult it has been for them to have to hear again the details of Smith’s offending against their loved ones."
"It was changes in the law that made it possible in this re-trial to present evidence about the strikingly similar nature of the circumstances and injuries suffered by Sarah and Amanda. This, along with comments made by Smith while awaiting trial for Amanda’s murder, and the evidence bravely provided by other women he had assaulted, left the jury in no doubt that he had attacked and killed Sarah."
"The investigation team also carried out a careful forensic review which identified that a number of fingerprints in Sarah’s flat had been left by the previous owner and did not relate to the murder."
"Smith is one of the most dangerous repeat offenders against women and girls I have ever encountered and this conviction means he faces many more years in prison."
Sarah's family issued the following statement:
"At long last justice for our lovely Sarah. If only our Mum & Dad were here with us today to share this momentous occasion."
"After the disheartening acquittal at the Old Bailey in 1993, our Mum said that Smith would kill again. Eight years later, he was found guilty of an even more savage murder and mutilation of a young woman and mother, which he later admitted."
"Thirty years may have passed but we still miss Sarah – she was a shining light in a murky world who wished for the best but found the worst in humanity."
Sarah Crump, 33, was a former nurse and medical secretary who lived alone at a Southall flat on Lady Margaret Road. She also worked as an escort.
David Smith, in addition to being a frequent user of escorts, has a disturbing history of obsessive behavior and sexual violence against women. Alongside his two murder convictions, he has also been found guilty of a stranger rape in 1976 and the false imprisonment of a woman in 1987.
Smith's disturbing behavior extended to developing obsessions with women he encountered, including one who underwent multiple hospital procedures resulting in distinctive scarring on her body. The injuries inflicted on Sarah exhibited notable resemblances to the scarring caused by those procedures.
On 28 August 1991, Smith, under the alias 'Duncan,' scheduled an appointment with Sarah through the Elite Escort Agency, using his work phone at Heathrow. He initially visited Sarah's flat but briefly left to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM in Southall. Upon returning, Sarah followed the standard procedure for escort work and contacted the agency to verify his arrival and payment.
Sarah suffered multiple injuries during the attack and there was clear evidence in the bathroom that someone had made efforts to wash blood from themselves.
An investigation was launched and Smith was subsequently identified as ‘Duncan’ due to phone records kept by the escort agency.
Initially denying any involvement, claiming he had never been to Southall or encountered Sarah, Smith eventually admitted to being 'Duncan' and acknowledged visiting her flat on the night of the murder. However, he maintained that he left Sarah unharmed and in a secure condition.
Smith stood trial for Sarah's murder in 1993 but was ultimately acquitted. However, while awaiting trial for the murder of Amanda Walker in 1999, Smith shared with a fellow inmate that he had committed a similar assault on a woman approximately seven years prior.
Following the alteration in legislation permitting "double jeopardy" prosecutions under specific conditions, Metropolitan Police detectives initiated a fresh investigation into Sarah's murder. They gathered new evidence in conjunction with existing materials, presenting their findings to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Consequently, an application was made to the Court of Appeal to overturn Smith's previous acquittal. In 2021, the Director of Public Prosecutions granted the application, leading to the Court of Appeal reviewing the case the following year and ordering Smith's retrial.
Detective Superintendent Reeves concluded: “It is over 30 years since Sarah was brutally attacked and murdered in her own home. I hope Smith’s conviction demonstrates our determination to pursue those who commit violent crimes, no matter the length of time that has passed.”
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