London -
The family of teacher Lindsay Hawker said they wanted “justice” as they arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for the trial of the Japanese man charged with her murder.
Hawker, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Leeds, was an instructor at the private language school attended by defendant Tatsuya Ichihashi. Her naked body was found in a sand-filled bath on the balcony of his apartment four years ago.
Ichihashi, 32, was arrested in 2009 after a lengthy manhunt, during which time he underwent extensive cosmetic surgery to disguise his identity.
Hawker’s father William said the trial, which begins on Monday, had been “a long time coming”. He was joined by his wife Julia and daughters Lisa and Louise.
Ichihashi is accused of rape and murder and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.
He admitted killing the Briton in Until The Arrest, a book he wrote in prison. - Daily Mail