A couple who killed a woman and disposed of her dismembered body across south London have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Steve Samson, 45, received a whole-life order, meaning he will never be released, while Gemma Watts, 49, was ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years.
The murder of 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew took place at Samson’s flat in Sutton in March 2024. The judge at the Old Bailey described the killing as involving “sexual and sadistic content”. The couple had exchanged depraved messages about bestiality and causing harm, which culminated in the murder.
Mayhew, a mother of two, had met Samson on a dating website years earlier. On 8 March, she accompanied him to his flat, where Watts was waiting. The prosecution said the couple acted out a “bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy”. DNA evidence linked Mayhew’s blood to the bedroom and other areas of the flat.
After the murder, the pair attempted to cover their tracks. Samson was seen buying a hacksaw, blades and a bucket, while Watts purchased bleach, scourers and an incinerator bin. Mayhew’s remains were discovered nearly a month later by a dog walker in Rowdown Fields, New Addington, with other body parts found in the River Wandle, Mitcham.
Samson was already serving a life sentence for the murder of a taxi driver in 1998 but was out on licence at the time. Both defendants pleaded guilty to murder and perverting the course of justice. In a victim impact statement, Mayhew’s parents expressed their grief, with her father questioning the motive behind the killing.
