Hospital worker pleads guilty to historic murders of two women and multiple sex assaults on corpses

A hospital electrician has admitted murdering then sexually assaulting two women decades before carrying out dozens of sex attacks on corpses in mortuaries.

The electrician who sexually assaulted dozens of women and girls in hospital mortuaries admitted his shocking crimes in police interview but said he did not want to "go into detail".

Double murderer David Fuller filmed himself carrying out the attacks at mortuaries inside the now closed Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital, in Pembury, where he worked in electrical maintenance roles since 1989.

The 67-year-old's victims included three children under the age of 18 and others older than 85 between 2008 and November 2020.

Undated handout photo issued by Kent Police of David Fuller who has pleaded guilty to murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in two separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent Police confirmed. Photo credit: Kent Police/PA Wire

Kent Police have released footage from Fuller's police interview regarding the mortuary offences.

Admitting the sexual penetration of corpses in the mortuary, Fuller told police: "I want to admit...I am admitting the offences but I don't really want to go into detail."

Fuller, sitting at a table wearing a blue jumper, dark face mask and glasses, was asked what offences he was admitting and he said: "As you've just described to me."

Undated handout grab from CCTV issued by Kent Police of David Fuller being questioned

And the interviewer replied: "In terms of the sexual penetration of corpses."

Fuller said "yes" in the middle of that response.

His shocking crimes were only discovered after he was arrested for the 1987 "bedsit murders" of Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in December last year following a DNA breakthrough.

Investigators have so far detected 99 potential victims, of which they know the names of 78.

Fuller said in police interview that he did not know how many times it happened.

He was asked if he had recorded himself sexually penetrating corpses and he replied: "I admit the offences."

Asked what he retained the recordings for, Fuller said "I don't know", and asked if it was for "further sexual pleasure", he said "no".

Fuller was asked if he knew why he started, and he said "no", and said he could not remember the first time.

He said he recorded the names and ages of his victims, and asked why he recorded what was going on, Fuller said: "I don't know why."

Fuller was asked where he stored the images and video from the mortuary offences and he said: "On the storage device that you found."

Asked to be more specific, Fuller said on an "external drive".

Police released bodyworn footage of officers finding hard drives that were attached to the back of a chest of drawers in Fuller's office.

Footage of officers finding a notebook detailing mortuary victims in a search of Fuller's office was also released.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said his thoughts were with the family and friends of the victims of "these horrific acts" and that he had asked the health sector to take three key actions following the case.

"First, the NHS has written to all trusts asking for mortuary access and post-mortem activities to be reviewed against current guidance. Second, an independently chaired review is already underway into exactly what occurred at the trust, which will report into me. Finally, I have asked the Human Tissue Authority for advice on whether changes are required to our existing regulations."

A date for Fuller's sentencing has not yet been set.

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