Double Killer Steven Sansom Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Sarah Mayhew

Double Killer Steven Sansom Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Sarah Mayhew

Steven Sansom, a double killer who murdered Sarah Mayhew and dumped her dismembered body in a south London park, has been sentenced to life in prison with a whole life order. This means he will never be released from prison.

Sansom, who was already out of prison on licence for another murder, killed Mayhew and dumped her remains in Rowdown Fields, New Addington, in March 2024. He had shared a relationship of sado-masochistic violence with his partner Gemma Watts, and together they planned and carried out the "bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy" of Mayhew's murder.

Both Sansom and Watts admitted to the murder and perverting the course of justice by dismembering Mayhew's body, distributing the parts at different locations, and cleaning up the scene. Watts was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years.

The judge presiding over the case stated that Mayhew must have experienced immense fear and suffering as she realized her fate. She was lured to the flat to be killed so that Sansom and Watts could act out their "bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy."

The prosecution presented evidence that the murder involved sexual and/or sadistic conduct. Prior to the murder, Sansom and Watts exchanged messages indicating a desire to kill victims while involved in sexual activity with them, using a knife or knives.

Mayhew was never seen again after she joined Sansom at his flat in Sutton on the evening of March 8, 2024. Some of her body parts were found in Rowdown Fields over three weeks later, and her torso was discovered much later in the River Wandle.

Sansom and Watts attempted to cover their tracks by disposing of evidence and joking about getting rid of someone in a suitcase. DNA tests confirmed that Mayhew's blood was found in Sansom's flat.

In a victim impact statement, Mayhew's mother described her as a "beautiful, pretty girl" and expressed her heartbreak over her loss. Mayhew's father thanked the defendants for pleading guilty but stated that no sentence could compare to the pain they caused the family.

Sansom is facing his second life sentence, having previously been jailed for the murder and robbery of a minicab driver in 1999. He was released from prison on licence in 2019 but was under probation supervision when he killed Mayhew. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that a serious further offence review is underway.