Profile: Loner turned killer

Why teenage loner Kieron Smith turned child killer remains a mystery, his trial heard.

But Smith's own background may point to why he should suddenly and brutally murder and defile the body of a girl he had happily played cricket with just hours before.

He suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, an autism-like disorder which can lead to "eccentric" behaviour, difficulties forming social relationships, problems communicating with others and the development of strong narrow obsessional interests.

Smith left his local Lowton High School early, aged just 13, because he "didn't like the crowds, they made me feel anxious" - another symptom of Asperger's.

The education services worked with the family to try to find a solution but they failed and gave up when he reached 16.

Instead of school, Smith spent most of his life leading a solitary existence, filling his day watching TV, playing games on his step-father's computer and playing with the family pet dog, Ammo, a German Shepherd cross, and his canary, cockatiels and parrot.

While most males his own age would perhaps be discovering the world of work, girls and cars, Smith stayed at home watching Big Brother, sci-fi dramas, The Simpsons and the A-Team.

He also used Sky Plus to video films during the night then watch them in the day.

He had no friends his own age. But after school hours, Smith, at 6ft 1ins, would go to "play out" with children much younger than himself.

Lauren was a friend of his sister, and of some of the boys he played out with, but not really a friend of his.

He liked playing with boys and 'boys' games', cricket and football, but was not interested in girls because he thought they didn't like sport.

Lauren, a popular and happy girl, had been warned by her parents to pop home every 30 minutes while playing out so her whereabouts were known.

Fateful night

On the balmy night of July 7, as adults were taking in the horror of the London bombings, Lauren and her young pals went out to play.

With the summer's Ashes cricket fever gripping the country the youngster went out after school, like millions of other kids across Britain, with a bat and a ball.

Smith also went out to play. He would chalk a wicket on to a wall, then play against young kids - this fateful night Lauren joined in.

His mum, stepdad and sister had all gone on holidays to Turkey, so his stepsister was staying at home to keep an eye on him.

After Lauren and Smith were left alone they went to a wooded area then he launched his brutal attack, battering her about the head. He then felt the need to defile her body.

Lauren was partly stripped, had her sock shoved in her mouth and two twigs shoved up each nostril. She was found under a pile of leaves by her grandfather.

There was no evidence of any sexual element to the attack.

No form of autism is completely understood by doctors, but there is a particular dearth of knowledge about Asperger's.

Smith's Asperger's may have caused his apparent odd behaviour and lifestyle, but according to medical experts it does not excuse or explain the "mystery" motive of his crime.

A spokesman for the National Autistic Society said: "There is no established link between Asperger's Syndrome and offending."

However the murder has disturbing echoes of another killer who had the same condition.

Paul Smith, 18, suffocated Rosie May Storrie, a 10-year-old, by holding her face-down on a pillow in a bedroom at his uncle's house in Normanton, Leicestershire, in December 2003 while her parents chatted to guests at a Christmas party.

Again he was always seen as the "odd kid" at school, lacked social skills and hated crowds.

Again his victim had her clothing disarranged, partly exposing her naked body, and again there was no evidence of a sexual element to the crime.

He also reportedly had a fiery temper and when Rosie May started innocently making fun of him may have lost control and smothered her.