Motive: Sex
Crimes: Murder of Gillian Atkins, aged 14, in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire.
Method: He sexually assaulted her before bashing her over the head with a brick.
Sentence: Life imprisonment.
Interesting facts: France confessed to killing Gillian accidentally, hitting her over the head with a piece of wood. Whilst in prison awaiting trial, his solicitor received an anonymous letter claiming that France had not killed him, but that the author had. It also provided a sketch and a description of where he had left the brick with which he had killed her. The handwriting was compared with that of France, but experts were unable to say that they matched. However a fingerprint was found on the letter, and using a newly developed laser technique for enhancing fingerprint detail, 16 identifying characteristics were found, proving that France had written the letter.