4:13pm UK, Wednesday April 23, 2003

A 59-year-old man who conned the family of murdered former air hostess Lucie Blackman into handing over thousands of pounds is facing prison.

180 murdered hostess lucy blackman

Lucy: Body found in cave

They paid Michael Hills £15,500 after he offered to help trace Lucie following her disappearance in Japan.

He told them he had underworld contacts who would know of her whereabouts, but it was a lie.

Hills pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining property by deception when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Twenty-one year-old Lucie vanished in July 2000 while working as a hostess in a Tokyo bar.

She told a friend she was driving to the seaside with a male client but was never seen again.

Her remains were eventually found 18 months later in a cave near Tokyo.

Japanese property developer Joji Obara has been charged with murdering Ms Blackman, of Sevenoaks, Kent.

The judge in Michael Hills' case adjourned sentencing for reports but warned him he faced going to prison.

Hills also pleaded guilty to conning the family of a missing trekker out of £5,000.

Lucie's father, Tim Blackman, said he hoped Hills would be punished "as severely as possible" for his "despicable" crime.