A man who left his ex-girlfriend’s body on his living room sofa for over two years has been jailed for preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice.

Jamie Stevens, 51, from Torquay, was sentenced to 14 months in prison at Exeter Crown Court after admitting that he covered the body of Anouska Sites, 36, with a blanket and continued living in his flat without informing the authorities.

The court heard that Ms Sites was last seen alive in May 2022, but her skeletal remains were not discovered until police forced entry to Stevens’s property in May 2025.

Police Discover Body After Long Search

Ms Sites was reported missing in April 2023. Initial police enquiries confirmed her last sighting was on 21 May 2022. When officers questioned Stevens, her former partner, he falsely claimed he had not seen her since early 2022.

Detectives made repeated visits to the Upton Road flat, but Stevens told them he had moved out. On 27 May 2025, officers gained entry and discovered a woman’s skeletal arm and hand beneath a blanket on the living room sofa.

The flat, described as being in a severe hoarding condition, was strewn with rubbish, faeces, and bottled urine. Officers also found fragranced items, which prosecutors said were likely used to mask the smell of decomposition.

Defendant’s Account

Stevens told police that Ms Sites had come to stay in January 2023, but when he returned home the following evening, he found her dead on the sofa. He admitted covering her with a blanket and never calling emergency services, later conceding that his explanation “didn’t sound right.”

Prosecutor Hollie Gilbery said Stevens made false statements to police during the missing person investigation, further delaying the discovery of Ms Sites’s remains.

Judge: ‘Absolutely Tragic Case’

Sentencing Stevens, Judge Anna Richardson said:

“This is an absolutely tragic case. You completely wrongly panicked and simply covered her body, leaving her there for years. Anouska was denied the dignity of a lawful burial.”

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that Ms Sites’s death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file has been passed to the coroner.

Detective Inspector Jeanne Hellyer said:

“Anouska was denied the dignity and right of a lawful burial on her death by Stevens. My thoughts remain with her family and friends, who can now lay her to rest.”