Age: 61
Sex: male
Date: 1 Aug 2005
Place: Comfort Inn, Craven Hill, Paddington, West London
Newton Thompson was killed in a hotel in London after coming to the UK from Australia on holiday.
It was thought that he had been mistaken for a paedophile who had also come over from Australia and had been targeted by a vigilante.
Two days earlier a paedophile who had served 37 years in prison in Australia had arrived in the UK after being extradited and they had looked similar. The paedophile had arrived at Heathrow Airport on 30 July 2005 and had been seen on the television arriving, covered with a sheet. There had been some controversy as Children's campaigners expressed fears that he might commit more crimes against children.
Newton Thompson was found dead in his hotel room having been beaten to death on 1 August 2005. His belongings had also been stolen. Other guests in the hotel had heard a disturbance in the night and the police said that there had been some sort of struggle.
His cause of death was given as being due to blows to the head.
He had been seen earlier in the day by bar staff at about 9.15pm and also seen later on the CCTV system.
Newton Thompson was from Melbourne in Australia and had been on a six-week tour of Europe. He had stayed in the hotel the week before until 28 July before going off to visit York and Scotland. He had then returned on the Monday afternoon, 31 July 2005, and checked back into the Comfort Inn in Craven Hill. He was found dead the next day on Tuesday 1 August 2005.
