Sarah’s remains were found in Rowdown Fields, south London (Pictures: PA)
A couple have admitted to murdering a London woman and disposing of her body in a busy park.
The remains of Sarah Mayhew, 38, was found in Rowdown Fields, south London, in April of this year.
Now, Gemma Watts, 49, and Steve Sansom, 45 – both of whom are said to have known Ms Mayhew – were arrested and charged with her murder and are facing life sentences.
Learn more about femicide
On average, one woman a week is killed by a partner/ex-partner.
Of the 249 female domestic homicide victims between March 2020 and March 2022, the suspect was male in a staggering 241 cases.
Women’s Aid have found that women are over three times more likely to be killed by a partner than by not wearing a seatbelt
A Killed Women survey found that only 4% of bereaved family members said their loved one’s killing was not preventable at all
And Femicide Census found that 53% of the perpetrators of femicide in 2020 had a history of violence to women
Sansom is believed to use a profile name of Red Rum on Facebook, which is murder spelt backwards.
On March 10, a post appeared on the Red Rum account reading: ‘Best friends are those who don’t say anything when you show up at their door with a dead body. They just grab a shovel and follow you.’
Sansom, of Burnell Road, Sutton, south-west London, had previously admitted murder and perverting the course of justice by dismembering Ms Mayhew’s body, distributing the parts at ‘various locations’ and cleaning up the scene.
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Watts pleaded guilty to murder and perverting the course of justice, but denied three charges of making indecent images of a child, which will lie on the court file.
After Watts’ plea at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing to a date to be fixed in January.
Watts, who was linked to the crime scene by phone evidence, was remanded into custody.
Both defendants are facing life sentences.
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