Inside depraved relationship of Sarah Mayhew's killers who made disturbing pact

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT 'Depraved' killers Steve Sansom and Gemma Watts exchanged sick messages of a 'sad-masochistic' quality earlier murdering and dismembering Sarah Mayhew

Horrific details person emerged astir the "sado-masochistic" mates who brutally murdered and dismembered Sarah Mayhew.

Sarah, 38, was past seen live successful Sutton, south-west London, connected the evening of March 8. Just nether a period aboriginal - connected April 2 - a canine walker discovered scattered Sarah's remains successful Rowndown Fields Park, New Addington, aft their canine unearthed a quality bone.

DNA investigating confirmed that arms, legs, and a caput recovered adjacent belonged to tragic Sarah, with Prosecutor Tom Little KC aboriginal telling the Old Bailey: "The deceased's assemblage was surely chopped up successful parts with usage of powerfulness tools." Sarah's torso was discovered overmuch aboriginal successful the River Wandle. Four days aft the horrific find was made, Steve Sansom, 45, and his spouse Gemma Watts, 49, were arrested and subsequently charged with the execution of Sarah, remembered arsenic "such a saccharine girl" connected a memorial leafage dedicated to her.

Vile Sansom has contiguous been sentenced to beingness imprisonment for execution with a full beingness order, meaning helium volition ne'er beryllium released from prison. The killer, a builder by trade, was besides sentenced to 5 years for perverting the people of justice, which volition tally concurrently. His spouse Watts, who held backmost tears successful court, was sentenced to beingness imprisonment with a minimum word of 30 years, arsenic good arsenic a five-year condemnation for perverting the people of justice, which volition tally concurrently. If she is ever released, the 49-year-old volition walk the remainder of her beingness connected licence.

The tribunal heard however Sansom, of Sutton, south-west London, and Watts, of New Addington, had a "kinky" intersexual narration and had indulged successful "depraved speech astir intersexual activity", which soon spiralled from phantasy into reality. This included exchanging disturbing messages astir bestiality, humiliation and causing wounded to others. During sentencing, Mrs Justice Cutts said: "There is wide and due inference successful my presumption that this execution progressive intersexual and sadistic conduct."

Sarah, who lived successful New Addington, connected the outskirts of Croydon, joined Sansom, whom she had met immoderate years earlier connected a dating site, astatine his crushed level level astatine astir 11pm connected March 8, 2024. Watts was already astatine the spot erstwhile she arrived. Sarah was ne'er seen live again.

The justice said: "Her fearfulness and suffering indispensable person been acute arsenic she realised wherefore she was determination and what was happening. She was an guiltless pistillate lured to that level to dice successful bid for you could some enactment retired your bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy."

Prosecutors judge Sarah indispensable person been killed oregon incapacitated wrong Sansom's level connected the nighttime of March 8 to 9 2024. Prosecutor Tom Little KC remarked that, fixed the messages exchanged betwixt the defendants successful the months starring up to Sarah's death, "it is not credible to reason that she was killed immediately."

Mr Little KC said: "The defendants acting unneurotic conducted the planned and premeditated bloodthirsty execution of Sarah Mayhew. It is simply a execution which the prosecution taxable progressive intersexual and/or sadistic conduct. Having committed the execution they past made precise extended efforts to pervert the people of justness implicit a fig of days.

"Prior to the murder, the defendants had exchanged a scope of depraved messages including those indicating a tendency connected their portion to termination victims whilst progressive successful intersexual enactment with them, with a weapon oregon knives, and past person enactment with each different whilst covered successful the humor of the unfortunate and they adjacent discussed eating quality flesh, but we bash not suggest they did so."

The tribunal heard how, connected September 11 2023, Sansom sent Watts a dependable connection referring to assemblage parts arsenic 'plaything'. And Watts chillingly said: "Wonder what they sensation like, cooked flesh".

Mr Little added: "Given what was subsequently to hap to Sarah Mayhew, this murderous, intersexual and sadistic treatment was manifestly not an idle fantasy."

On April 2 2024, a small implicit 3 weeks later, Sarah's caput and limbs were discovered much than 8 miles distant successful Rowdown Field, New Addington. Her torso was past discovered overmuch aboriginal successful the River Wandle.

Do you person a communicative to share? Email maine astatine julia.banim@reachplc.com