Peter David Heaton (18) was convicted of the murder of Michelle Wareing (18)
He attacked her after she had left Scotts disco in Wigan town centre in the early hours of 10 September 1989.
It was said that he had beaten her to death with a lump of concrete and indecently assaulted her and probably raped her.
He denied murdering her when he was first arreted, saying that he had been out with his girlfriend, but when he was re-interviewed three days later he broke down and confessed and said that he had just had a row with his girlfriend and that he felt like beatng someone up.
He was also convicted of the rape of another 15-yer-old girl who he was said to have nearly killed.
He was initially arrested by the police on the rape charge and it was whilst they were questioning him on that matter that they started to ask him about his movements on the night Michelle Wareing was murdered.
It was sad that he had expressed an interest in both Michelle Wareing and the girl that he raped before the attacks.
He had raped the 15-year-old girl on 29 November 1989 as she crossed a footpath through a field in Pemberton.
It was said that he had dragged her into some long grass and told her that if she didn’t stop screaming that he would kill her.
It was said then that he raped and sexually abused her and then squeezed her throat until she blacked out.
Peter Heaton pleaded not guilty at the trial.
There was no forensic evidence against him although his blood group match that which was found at the scene and which was common to only 8% of the population.
At the trial he said that he had confessed to themurder because the detectives had convinced him that he had blanked the murder out of his mind and had implied that he would be treated leniently if he cooperated.
Whilst it was noted that the Crime Watch reconstruction of the crime failed to failed in its own right to track him down, it was noted that he had by chance been passing when it was being made and that he was filmed in the background of one of the scenes. He had pleaded guilty to her rape.
Michelle Wareing was found murdered after a night out in Wigan with some friends.
She had gone out on the Saturday night, 9 September 1989, but didn’t come home and her body was found at about 11pm on 11 September 1989.
It was thought that she might have tried to walk home from the nightclub to save on the price of a taxi.
She was said to have been violently and sexually attacked.
Her purse and shoes were found on an embankment the following day, 10 September 1989, by some children out with their father, and her parents later reported Michelle Wareing missing on Monday 11 September 1989.
It was said that Michelle Wareing’s parents had not raised the alrm before the Monday because they thought that she was staying at her friend’s house.
After Michelle Wareing was reported missing and her possessions which had been handed into the police were connected with her, the police called the father of the children that had found the items and they went there the Station Road car park at 11pm on 11 September 1989 to show the police were and had a further search and Michelle Wareing’s body was found a litte further on in some bushes off the car parl.
Michelle Wareing had live with her parents and younger brother about a mile and a half out of wigan town centre in Finchlet Crescent, New Springs, Wigan, and had worked as a waitress at a local cafe.
Michelle Wareing had gone out on the evening of 9 September 1989 with two friends, meeting them earlier in the evening in the town centre at 7.30pm.
They went to the Bees Knees public house for some drinks before going off to some other bars in the town centre before going to Scotts Exclusive Nitespot disco in King Street at about 9.45pm. Her friends said that Michelle Wareing was her usual self during the evening, but that by 1am on the Sunday morning, 10 September 1989 she had become tired.
She was seen by one of her other friends at 10.10am walking up King Steet towards Walgate as she was leaving with her boyfriend in a taxi and that was the last that was seen of her alive. Her friend said, ‘I thought she was going to get a taxi. But she was trying to save moneyto go out later in the week’.
However, one witness said that they saw a girl that looked like Michelle Wareing at about 1.15am stading up against a wall in Standishgate with a man arguing about 400 yards on from Scotts disco. THe man was described as being about 6ft tall, slim with short blonde hair and wearing jeans and a light blue jumper.
Two other witnesses also said that they saw a man and a woman together aguing between 1.15am and 1.30am outside the multi-story carpark in Station Road off Crompton Street and Riverway.
One of the witnesses said that they particularly remembered the girl’s white shoulderbag which was similar to the one that Michelle Wareing had had.
Several other people also reported hearing shouts and screams coming from the car park which it was noted was nearly empty by that time.
Later still, sometime between 2am and 2.30am, a man had been walking home along Station Road when he said he saw a young man near the exit of the car park.
He also said that as he went on a little further, he saw another man who he described as tall with short blonde hair, run out in front og him fro the entrance of the car park and head off towards the town centre.
It was noted that Michelle Wareing’s body was later found about 15 yards from that spot.
When the police carried out their investigations they said that they did not think that Michelle Wareing had met anyone in Scotts disco and that when she had left at 1am that she had been very tired.
It was thought that after leaving Scotts disco that she would have walked up King Street and through the town centre nd then towards her home in Wlling and as such, it was noted that the multi-story car park in Station Street was out of her way.
It was about 800 yards from Scotts disco and described as being an 8 or 10 minute walk.
It was also note dthat a red Ford Orion car was seen parked on the street near the car park where Michelle Wareing’s body was found.
It was thought that the number plate of the vehicle had started with an ‘E’ and also ended with an ‘E’.
Peter Heaton man was charged with her murder on 5 December 1989 and convicted on 2 November 1989
