Man strangled and decapitated girlfriend before pretending to be her to mum

A man has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years after stabbing his girlfriend to death and decapitating her.

Ewan Methven murdered 21-year-old Phoenix Spencer-Horn at their home in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, in November of last year.

Shortly after the couple ordered a takeaway to be delivered to their flat in Glen Lee, Methven stabbed his girlfriend 20 times, 10 times in the face, before mutilating her body and cutting off her head.

For the weekend after he murdered her he searched for pornography online 170 times, tried to buy cocaine multiple times, drove around in Phoenix’s car and texted her mother pretending she was still alive.

Methven pleaded guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Glasgow.

On Monday he was jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years for what Judge Lord Matthews called a ‘truly dreadful crime’.

On the day of the murder, Methven sent a message to Phoenix saying her shifts working as a waitress made him ‘lonely’, for which she apologised.

After killing Phoenix, he replied to a text message from her mum Alison Spencer simply reading ‘Hey sorry I’ve just woken up xxx’.

Two days after the murder, on November 18, Methven called 999 and told the call handler: ‘I had a psychotic break and killed my wife.

‘We were messing about, I take steroids and was taking cocaine and alcohol, I think there was something else in it… it was f****** horrible.

‘I have been out my face, I can’t remember what happened. I have been driving about all weekend.’

When police arrived at their flat they found Phoenix’s mutilated body hidden under a towel.

Defending, Tony Graham KC, said Methven realised last year he had an addiction problem, and had written a letter to the judge saying ‘in relation to the harm that could cause, it could only be harm to himself’.

Mr Graham read from the letter, which said: ‘I know how loved Phoenix was and how she made her family complete. I can’t believe I’ve taken her from them.’

He added: ‘Mr Methven is in a position where he can offer no explanation as to why the course of events which led to Phoenix’s death took place, other than his own self-administration of drugs.’

During sentencing, Lord Matthews said: ‘At 21 years old, Phoenix was standing at the threshold of what should have been a long and fulfilling life. You were a trusted member of her family but betrayed that trust.

‘For reasons no-one will ever understand you strangled her and stabbed her 20 times, including 10 in the face. You robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and trying to dismember her.

‘For two days after, you indulged in drug abuse and watching pornography, contacting her mother and pretending to be her.

‘The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant her family did not have the comfort of saying goodbye to her.

‘The letter by you answers none of the questions which must be plaguing the family. You blame the effect of substances but that is no excuse.’

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