A HEINOUS killer dismembered his landlady and hid her remains in a storage unit for months before sending Christmas cards to her family.
Scott Paterson, 45, murdered Annette Smith at the home they shared in Fairfield, Bedfordshire, in November last year.
3
3
He then dismembered the 74-year-old’s body and hid her remains at a storage unit in nearby Letchworth.
To avoid suspicion over her disappearance, Paterson told police she had left their home with an unknown woman.
He also sent Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to her family and friends to pretend she was still alive and cover his tracks.
But concerns were raised by Annette’s family in April, four months after she had vanished, and police launched a murder probe.
During a search of her home, police found her passport, clothing and the laptop that had been used to send the Christmas messages.
Paterson was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder, before making a full admission and directing detectives to a storage unit at which he had hidden her remains.
The killer, of no fixed address, formally pleaded guilty to murder during a pre-trial hearing at Luton Crown Court on September 9.
He appeared at the same court today, where he was jailed for life.
Speaking after his guilty plea, Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias, of Bedfordshire Police, said: “Annette’s death is tragic, and deeply saddening. Our thoughts remain with her loved ones.
“Paterson’s actions to conceal his horrific crime and later mislead Annette’s family and friends with a false sense of assurance, reveals the nature of a very cold and calculated individual who has no place in our community.
“Uncovering Annette’s death has required the finest level of police work, and I would like to commend the Major Crime Unit and supporting teams on their meticulous efforts over the last five months.
“Our hope is that this swift progression towards justice, provides some level of comfort to those affected by Annette’s death.”
3
