Ichihashi pleads not guilty to murdering Briton Lindsay Hawker

CHIBA, Japan, July 4 Kyodo - Tatsuya Ichihashi, charged with killing British woman Lindsay Hawker in Japan in 2007, pleaded not guilty to murder Monday while admitting he caused her death on the first day of his trial before an audience including her parents and two sisters.
The 32-year-old Ichihashi, wearing a black shirt and gray jeans, said during the session at the Chiba District Court, ''I didn't intend to murder her. But I caused her death. I'll take responsibility for it. I'm really sorry about that.''
The defendant knelt down and bowed in front of Lindsay's parents -- William and Julia Hawker -- who were allowed to sit behind prosecutors. The Hawkers did not alter their stern expressions in response to his action.
Lindsay's sisters sat in visitor's seats. Before the trial, the four family members of Lindsay got out of their car and walked into the court building hand in hand. They did not respond to questions from reporters but William Hawker showed a picture of Lindsay.
While the defendant kept his head low throughout the first hearing, the prosecutors presented evidence concerning the trial, ranging from photos of Lindsay's hair cut by Ichihashi and footage of Ichihashi and Lindsay getting into an elevator together before the alleged assault.
At the sight of a photo showing Lindsay's body, William Hawker covered his eyes with a handkerchief, while his wife put her hand on his.
Ichihashi admitted to raping and suffocating 22-year-old Lindsay in his apartment as well as dumping her body in a bathtub on the balcony around March 25, 2007.
The prosecutors said in their opening statement that it is ''clear'' that Ichihashi had the intention to kill Lindsay to ''prevent his act of rape coming into light.'' Ichihashi, they added, ''continued to press her neck with considerable force for at least three minutes or longer. It was a coarse and inhumane act.''
The defense team, meanwhile, said in its opening statement, ''He had no intention to kill. His act should be considered bodily harm resulting in death.''
They denied that Ichihashi's act constituted rape resulting in death as prosecutors argued, as Lindsay died after he punched her in the face a while after he raped her.
Presiding Judge Masaya Hotta will hand down a ruling on the defendant on July 21 after six rounds of hearings through July 12 and discussions among the six citizen judges and three professional judges.
Ichihashi was arrested in November 2009 after spending two years and seven months on the run and altering his appearance through cosmetic surgery.