Man confesses to Hawker killing in book

THE Japanese man accused of murdering British teacher Lindsay Hawker has written a book confessing to the killing — and has promised to donate the proceeds to her family.

The book was written by suspect Tatsuya Ichihashi while in prison awaiting trial. It details how he spent two-and-a-half years on the run following the 22-year-old’s murder in 2007 and how he underwent plastic surgery to change his appearance.

Ichihashi also apologises to Hawker’s family, claming he wrote the book as “a gesture of contrition for the crime I committed”, but does not elaborate on the crime or his motives.

Hawker was found dead in a sand-filled bathtub on the balcony of Ichihashi’s apartment in Chiba, east of Tokyo, in March 2007. Ichihashi, 32, was one of her students at an English language school.

He was arrested in Osaka, in western Japan, on November 10, 2009, and has been in custody since.

In a statement from his lawyers, Ichihashi said he hoped to give royalties from the book, titled Until the Arrest, to the Hawker family, and if rejected, use it for a good cause.

While at large, Ichihashi said he travelled through 23 states across Japan and became obsessed with cosmetic surgery due to fears of his arrest — even attempting procedures on himself with scissors.

He also claimed to have embarked on a pilgrimage tour of temples on the south-western island of Shikoku, wishing Hawker could “come back to life”.

“I was so scared that I ran away,” he wrote in the 238-page book released by publishing house Gentosha.

“I ended up hurting not only the victim but also (the feelings of) many other people.

“I took Lindsay’s life, that fact does not change,” he wrote.

While at large, Ichihashi said he read The Catcher in the Rye in English, as well as the Harry Potter series that Hawker had recommended.

He was finally arrested in Osaka while waiting for a ferry to Okinawa.

Hawker’s family released a statement which read: “The Hawkers will not make any deals nor negotiations with the defence team outside of the court. They want justice for their daughter in the trial.”