Hannah murdered after 999 operator diverted her call

A 17-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl was raped and murdered after her 999 call was disconnected, a court heard today.

A-level student Hannah Foster was abducted by a sandwich delivery man as she walked home from a bus stop.

Maninder Pal Singh Kohli is accused of kidnapping, raping and strangling Hannah then fleeing to India, the jury was told.

He left behind one billion-to-one DNA evidence in his van, on Hannah and on her clothing and was eventually extradited back to the UK to face justice, the court heard.

As he was about to launch his attack, Hannah rang 999 on her mobile phone. She hoped the operator would work out she was being held against her will and contact the police.

But because the operator was unable to speak to Hannah, she followed procedure intended to stop accidental calls jamming up the emergency system and diverted the call. Two days later in March 2003 Hannah's body was found on a verge on the outskirts of Southampton.

Hannah's mother Hilary wept in court as the jury heard how she had to identify her dead daughter's terrified voice on a tape of the 999 call.

Nicholas Hagan, prosecuting, said: "It cannot have been easy for Hannah's parents and it cannot be easy for you when you hear the tape but they are able to say that the female voice is Hannah."

He added: "The quality of the recording is very, very poor but you will be able to hear and you will be able to tell that Hannah was very frightened. The operator had no idea that this was a genuine emergency call from a girl in distress and the call was disconnected."

Despite her terror Hannah could be heard giving her kidnapper a false name, calling herself Sarah the name of her sister.

The tape makes it clear that Hannah is in a moving vehicle with a man with a very heavily accented voice and she is not able to talk freely. The court heard that at one stage the man ordered Hannah to "hold your head down please".

Kohli drove a highly distinctive van on the day of the kidnapping which was so easily picked up on CCTV that it "stood out like a sore thumb", said Mr Hagan. Hannah was snatched from the street when she only had to walk "a few hundred yards" from the bus stop to her home.

She had been out with her friend Helen Wilkinson but had drunk only one double vodka all evening so was "absolutely sober" said Mr Hagan.

At 10.30pm Hannah and Helen decided to walk home and were caught on CCTV. At 10.50pm Helen got on a bus and waved to her friend through the window which was "the last time she saw her".

Hannah, who had planned to study medicine, headed towards home but by 11pm she had been grabbed and was in the vehicle.

Kohli's boss contacted the police after seeing a BBC TV Crimewatch appeal.

Police were able to pinpoint the van by automated number plate recognition points and found they matched the cell site posts which relayed messages to Hannah's phone after her disappearance.

Days after the murder, Kohli dumped his wife and two young sons and flew to India.

An arrest warrant was issued but it was not until July 2004 that he was seized by Indian police. Last year he was flown back to Britain.

Mr Hagan said: "This case is clear and utterly compelling. Kohli snatched Hannah from the street, drove off with her in his van and found somewhere quiet where he raped and strangled her and dumped her body."

Kohli, 40, formerly of Southampton, has pleaded not guilty to murder, rape, kidnap and false imprisonment. The case continues.