Hilton was born on 12 January 1936 to
John Robert Hilton and his wife, Margaret. She was educated at
Bedales School, a
private school in Hampshire, England. While serving as a police officer, Hilton studied psychology at the
University of Manchester, graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1970 and
Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1971. She also studied at the
University of London, and completed a diploma in criminology in 1972 and a diploma in the history of art in 1982. ==Career==