Cheshire man confessed to helpline that he strangled neighbour

Mottram confessed to police that he killed Ms Heap but denied murder at trial

A man who strangled his neighbour and then called a mental health support line to confess to the killing has been found guilty of murder.

David Mottram, 47, of Nursery Lane, Congleton, told Samantha Heap he was locked out of his supported living flat on 2 March, Cheshire Police said.

Ms Heap let him into her flat so he could wait for a relative to bring a spare key, but instead he attacked her.

The force said he later "called Crisis Line" and told them what he had done.

He was found guilty of her murder following an eight-day trial at Chester Crown Court.

A police spokesman said Mottram called the support line at about 22:25 GMT to tell them he had killed the 45-year-old.

He said he also confessed to officers who were sent to his flat following the call.

'Further distress'

A subsequent search of the property unearthed a holdall filled with handwritten letters, in which Mottram stated that he did not want to live in the community and wanted to go to prison.

The force spokesman said Mottram had autism, a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people interact with the world, but the jury decided the condition had not "affected his rational judgement" and unanimously found him guilty of murder.

Speaking after the trial, Ms Heap's relatives said she had been "a warm lovely person, who had no bad in her and did not deserve what happened to her".

"Knowing [Mottram] is in prison for what he did... will help us in some way as we try to come to terms with our devastating and cruel loss," they said.

Det Insp Julien Culham added that what Mottram did "was inconceivable and has left a family absolutely devastated".

He will be sentenced on 27 September.

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