Man walks in to police station and confesses to murder he committed 40 years ago

Sixty-one-year-old John Paul reportedly walked into Hammersmith Police Station and surprised cops by confessing to committing murder 40 years ago. He allegedly walked into the station at 9:38 A.M. on May 5 and admitted to brutally murdering a man in 1980.

The victim in question was 42-year-old Anthony Bird, a porter and part-time barman who was found naked with bound wrists at his flat in Kensington Gardens Square. He was found deceased on June 6 1980.

His murder had been unsolved for 41 years until John Paul told cops at the precinct that he had "battered him" with a lump of wood. John Paul was then taken in.

King's counsel John Price opened his trial at the Old Bailey on Monday and started by describing to the jury how Paul entered Hammersmith Police Station to report a crime. Paul told the woman at the counter that he had come to admit to murder around 1980 but could not explain why.

When he was prodded to reveal more details, Paul allegedly told an officer: "He approached me and just spoke to me and just talked me into having sex with him. He took me back to his place ... I tied him with a cord. I think the cord was black, I'm not sure. I tied him with a cord, his ankles, his hands, his arms, on the bed naked. There was a piece of wood ... I used the piece of wood to batter him."

Records show that at around 11:34 am, the police were able to find the case file on Mr Bird's unsolved murder and at 3:35 pm, Paul was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Price told jurors that the deceased victim was a homosexual and infamous for picking up men for sex. The last time he was seen alive was on the night of June 3 1980, in the Queensway area of west London. His friends remember him telling them he "had his eye on a black lad" and then hurried after him.

Years after his murder, Paul revealed that the victim had propositioned him for sex while he was out to steal something. He also disclosed that he had gone home with him.

When the victim failed to show up for work, police were called to his flat. Price read the report that "The officers went into the bedroom. On the bed, they found the lifeless body of Tony Bird. He was naked. He was lying on his side. His knees were tucked up and his legs were crossed."

Paul pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Bird and was given an alternative offence of manslaughter.