A couple has been sentenced to prison for the murder of a woman whose dismembered remains were disposed of in various locations across south London.
Steve Samson, who was on a life license for the 1998 murder of a taxi driver, and his partner, Gemma Watts, were found guilty of killing 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew at his Sutton apartment last spring.
The Old Bailey’s presiding judge described the murder as having “sexual and sadistic elements,” imposing a life sentence with a whole-life order on 45-year-old Samson, indicating he will remain incarcerated indefinitely.
Watts, aged 49, received a life sentence as well, with a minimum term of 30 years, and will be required to adhere to licensing conditions for the rest of her life if released.
Both individuals were also sentenced to serve five additional years concurrently for attempting to obstruct justice.
Sarah Mayhew, who resided in New Addington near Croydon, had previously met Samson through an online dating platform.
She was last seen after she followed Samson to his ground-floor flat around 11 PM on March 8, 2024, where Watts was waiting, involved in a “kinky” relationship with him.
Justice Mrs. Cutts remarked that Mayhew was “an innocent woman deceived into that flat to meet her demise,” emphasizing that the pair killed her in order to fulfill a “bloodthirsty and malevolent fantasy.”
During their court sentencing, a series of messages exchanged between Watts and Samson detailing themes of bestiality, humiliation, and infliction of harm were presented.
The prosecutor, Tom Little KC, revealed that prior to the murder, the defendants had communicated about their disturbing intentions, which included a desire to kill victims in conjunction with sexual acts.
This “twisted dialogue regarding sexual encounters” developed into reality, the court noted.
Investigations revealed that upon learning Samson intended to have Mayhew over, Watts ominously replied, “Only if it’s a deal she ain’t leaving in one piece.” Samson’s affirmative response, “OK,” along with further messages, revealed a clear sexual and sadistic drive, according to police findings.
DNA analysis uncovered traces of Mayhew’s blood throughout the bedroom and other areas of Samson’s residence.
Authorities believe Mayhew was killed on the very day she entered Samson’s flat. Just a couple of days later, Samson was seen purchasing a hacksaw, blades, and a bucket, while Watts was captured on surveillance footage buying cleaning supplies, including bleach and scourers, and a silver incinerator bin.
“After committing the murder, they made extensive efforts to obstruct justice over several days,” Little stated in court. He highlighted that the act was both planned and intentional.
Approximately a month after Mayhew’s death, a dog walker discovered her remains in Rowdown Fields in New Addington, with additional body parts found in the River Wandle in Mitcham.
At the time of her murder, Mayhew was the mother of two children aged 12 and 15, and DCI Martin Thorpe from the Specialist Crime Command noted she had “her entire future ahead of her.”
In her victim impact statement, Mayhew’s mother, Angela, expressed her heartbreak over her daughter’s absence.
Her father, David, expressed gratitude to the defendants for pleading guilty, which spared the family from the traumatic experience of a trial, but added, “Regardless of the sentence you may receive, it will never compare to the anguish you’ve caused us.”
He continued to reflect, “I often wonder why you had to take her life. Perhaps I will never find the answer.”
