Grieving father seeks ‘harshest term’

The father of murdered student Nicola Furlong has called on the court to hand her alleged killer the harshest sentence possible, and claimed Richard Hinds was still “harming Nicola’s dignity” through his conduct.

In a victim impact statement that was not read out in the Japanese court, Andrew Furlong pleaded for Richard Hinds to receive the severest punishment open to the court for killing his daughter, aged 21, who was found dead in a room at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo on May 24 last year.

Mr Hinds, aged 19, a musician from Memphis, Tennessee, will today hear the verdict of the court in Tokyo, where he has been standing trial for Ms Furlong’s murder.