Horrific details have emerged about the "sado-masochistic" couple who brutally murdered and dismembered Sarah Mayhew.
was last seen alive in Sutton, south-west London, on the evening of March 8. Just under a month later - on April 2 - a dog walker discovered scattered Sarah's remains in Rowndown Fields Park, New Addington, after their dog unearthed a human bone.
DNA testing confirmed that arms, legs, and a head found nearby belonged to tragic Sarah, with Prosecutor Tom Little KC later telling the Old Bailey: "The deceased's body was certainly cut up in parts with use of power tools." Sarah's torso was discovered much later in the River Wandle. Four days after the horrific discovery was made, Steve Sansom, 45, and his partner Gemma Watts, 49, were arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of Sarah, remembered as "such a sweet girl" on a memorial page dedicated to her.
Vile has today been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder with a whole life order, meaning he will never be released from prison. The killer, a builder by trade, was also sentenced to five years for perverting the course of justice, which will run concurrently. His partner who held back tears in court, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years, as well as a five-year sentence for perverting the course of justice, which will run concurrently. If she is ever released, the 49-year-old will spend the remainder of her life on licence.
The court heard how Sansom, of Sutton, south-west London, and Watts, of New Addington, had a "kinky" sexual relationship and had indulged in "which soon spiralled from fantasy into reality. This included exchanging disturbing messages about bestiality, humiliation and causing hurt to others. During sentencing, Mrs Justice Cutts said: "There is clear and proper inference in my view that this murder involved sexual and sadistic conduct."
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Sarah, who lived in New Addington, on the outskirts of Croydon, joined Sansom, whom she had met some years before on a dating site, at his ground floor flat at approximately 11pm on March 8, 2024. Watts was already at the property when she arrived. Sarah was never seen alive again.
The judge said: "Her fear and suffering must have been acute as she realised why she was there and what was happening. She was an innocent woman lured to that flat to die in order for you could both act out your bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy."
Prosecutors believe Sarah must have been killed or incapacitated inside Sansom's flat on the night of March 8 to 9 2024. Prosecutor Tom Little KC remarked that, given the messages exchanged between the defendants in the months leading up to Sarah's death, "it is not credible to conclude that she was killed immediately."
Mr Little KC said: "The defendants acting together conducted the planned and premeditated bloodthirsty murder of Sarah Mayhew. It is a murder which the prosecution submit involved sexual and/or sadistic conduct. Having committed the murder they then made very extensive efforts to pervert the course of justice over a number of days.
"Prior to the murder, the defendants had exchanged a range of depraved messages including those indicating a desire on their part to kill victims whilst involved in sexual activity with them, with a knife or knives, and then have sex with each other whilst covered in the blood of the victim and they even discussed eating human flesh, but we do not suggest they did so."
The court heard how, on September 11 2023, Sansom sent Watts a voice message referring to body parts as 'plaything'. And Watts chillingly said: "Wonder what they taste like, cooked flesh".
Mr Little added: "Given what was subsequently to happen to Sarah Mayhew, this murderous, sexual and sadistic discussion was manifestly not an idle fantasy."
On April 2 2024, a little over three weeks later, Sarah's head and limbs were discovered more than eight miles away in Rowdown Field, New Addington. Her torso was then discovered much later in the River Wandle.
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