In the summer of 2005, what began as a dream European holiday for an Australian tourist ended in unimaginable horror in a quiet hotel in London’s Paddington district. Newton Murray John Thompson, a sixty-one-year-old father of two from Melbourne, was brutally beaten to death in his room at the Comfort Inn on Craven Hill. His belongings were stolen, but the savagery of the attack—multiple heavy blows to the back of the head—suggested something more sinister than a simple robbery.
Newton had arrived in the UK as part of a six-week tour of Europe. He had previously stayed at the same hotel from late July before traveling to York and Scotland. On the afternoon of July 31st, 2005, he checked back in. The next day, August 1st, hotel staff discovered his body. He had been bludgeoned, and items including cash and personal effects were missing.
The location, near Paddington’s bustling transport hubs, is a popular area for budget travelers. Investigators quickly captured CCTV footage of Newton’s final movements, showing him returning to the hotel alone.
As the Metropolitan Police delved deeper, a chilling theory emerged: mistaken identity. Just days earlier, on July 30th, 2005, notorious Australian pedophile Robert Excell had been extradited to the UK after serving thirty-seven years in prison for child sex offenses. Excell, arriving at Heathrow Airport, was famously photographed covered in a sheet to shield him from public view, but images of his distinctive appearance (white hair, silver beard, metal-framed glasses) had circulated widely in the media. Newton Thompson bore a striking resemblance to Excell.
Detectives believed Newton may have been targeted by a vigilante who mistook him for the reviled sex offender. His Australian accent could have further fueled the confusion. The nature of the attack—a frenzied, personal beating rather than a quick theft—aligned with a crime of rage or retribution.
Despite a £20,000 reward and extensive appeals, no one was ever charged. The case remains one of London’s unsolved murders from 2005, listed alongside others on sites tracking cold cases. Nearly two decades later, the killer—or killers—has evaded justice.
Crime Immemorial 