A convicted murderer is set to face life imprisonment for the second time after admitting to the brutal killing of Sarah Mayhew, 38, whose dismembered remains were discovered in a park in New Addington, south London, earlier this year.

Sarah Mayhew’s body was found in Rowdown Fields on April 2 after police were alerted to human remains.

The Crime

Steve Sansom, 45, of Burnell Road, Sutton, and his partner Gemma Watts, 49, of Featherbed Lane, New Addington, were charged with Ms Mayhew’s murder. On Thursday, Watts admitted to both murder and perverting the course of justice but denied unrelated charges of making indecent images of a child, which will remain on file.

Sansom had previously confessed to murdering Ms. Mayhew and to perverting the course of justice by dismembering her body and disposing of the parts across “various locations.” He also admitted to cleaning up the crime scene.

The couple knew Ms. Mayhew lived locally in New Addington. Prosecutors believe the murder took place on the night of March 8 at Sansom’s home. Watts was connected to the crime through phone evidence.

Sentencing

Judge Mark Lucraft KC confirmed that both Sansom and Watts will face life sentences, with sentencing scheduled for January 2025.

Sansom is no stranger to life imprisonment. He was previously jailed for life in 1999 for the murder and robbery of minicab driver Terence Boyle on Christmas Eve in 1998. Sansom slit Mr Boyle’s throat during the attack and stole £25 to buy Christmas presents. Despite serving a life sentence, he was later released on licence, a status which now raises questions about the monitoring of his behaviour before he committed a second murder.

Disturbing Social Media Activity

Investigations revealed Sansom’s grim sense of humour on social media. Operating under the name “Red Rum” — murder spelt backwards — he posted on March 10: “Best friends are those who don’t say anything when you show up at their door with a dead body. They grab a shovel and follow you.”

Family Impact and Community Outrage

Ms. Mayhew’s family attended the court hearing, visibly distraught as details of her death were recounted. Members of the community have expressed outrage and sorrow over the case, questioning how Sansom was able to re-offend while under probation supervision.

Detectives described the crime as premeditated and noted the significant effort made to cover it up. The case has prompted calls for a review of the probation service’s oversight and management of released offenders on life licences.

Official Review

Sansom’s re-offending is expected to trigger a review of how he was monitored under probation supervision. Killers handed life sentences are subject to strict licence conditions upon release, which may include regular check-ins with probation officers and compliance with certain behavioural guidelines. The review will determine whether these protocols were followed and if they could have prevented the second murder.