Man Who Hid In Bed After Killing Two Colleagues Found Guilty Of Murder

A hotel receptionist at Heathrow airport who hid in a bed for two days after killing two of his colleagues has been found guilty of their murder.

32-year-old Attila Ban, stabbed and killed Tibor Vass and Alice Adams in the Radisson Edwardian Hotel's staff accommodation last August.

After killing the pair, Ban hid himself inside a divan bed, on top of which lay the body of Tibor Vass.

Mr Vass had been killed on a sofa before being carried into the bedroom and carefully laid on one of the two beds in the room.

Miss Adams was found on the living-room floor with a cushion over her face. She had been stabbed 22 times.

All three had worked at the hotel.

The court heard that Ban, had developed a crush on Mr Vass, both of whom where from Hungary, and was devastated when he found out that he was due to leave. Mr Vass was heterosexual and did not return his feelings

Police were called after Ban, who had climbed into the bed with his mobile phone and a bottle of water, updated his Facebook page, saying "I would like to wake up from this nightmare", and all three failed to turn up for work.

Speaking to the court about Mr Ban hiding inside the bed, prosecutor Richard Whittam, QC, said: "He must have been there throughout the attendance of the pathologist, the removal of the bodies and the examination of the scene by crime scene examiners.

"He had the presence of mind to have concealed himself effectively and to remain undetected throughout the time they were on the premises."

The bodies had been the last things to be moved after the time-consuming, forensic work had been completed.

Ban, who was voted employee of the year on feedback forms from customers, had also cut a small slit in the side of the mattress so he could see what was happening in the room.

Speaking outside the court, Det Insp John Finch said police had not been negligent for not looking under the bed.

He said crime scene examiners would lose crucial forensic evidence if they lifted up beds looking for people who were not there.

He added: "I would not want anyone to do anything differently in the future."

(H)