Key details:

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• Victim: Sarah Mayhew (38)

 

• Perpetrators:

  • Steven Sansom (45)

  • Gemma Watts (49)

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• Dates: 08 March 2024

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• Location: New Addington, South London

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Key Facts:

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• Sarah was last seen on March 8, 2024, in Sutton, South London.

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• On April 2, 2024, a dog walker in Rowdown Fields, New Addington, discovered human remains, later identified as parts of Sarah's body.

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• Additional remains were found in the River Wandle, Mitcham, in May.

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• On the night of March 8, 2024, Sarah Mayhew was murdered at Sansom's residence, with both Sansom and Watts present.

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• Following the murder, they dismembered her body using power tools and disposed of the parts in various locations across South London.

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• The discovery of Ms. Mayhew's remains initiated a police investigation, leading to the arrests of Watts and Sansom.

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• Phone evidence and other forensic data linked them to the crime scene.

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• Sansom had a previous conviction for the 1998 murder of a cab driver and was on licence after being released from prison in 2019.

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• This raised concerns about the supervision of released offenders and prompted a serious further offence review by the Ministry of Justice.

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• Both defendants faced additional charges related to indecent images of children, which were left on file and not pursued further.

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• The court proceedings highlighted the brutal nature of the crime and the premeditated efforts to conceal it.

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• Both Watts and Sansom were charged with murder and perverting the course of justice by dismembering and disposing of Ms. Mayhew's body.

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• Sansom pleaded guilty to both charges in September 2024.

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• Watts pleaded guilty to both charges in November 2024.

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• Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing in January 2025, with life imprisonment being the mandatory sentence for murder.