英國貝德福郡(Bedfordshire)一名45歲男子承認去年親手悶死74歲的房東太太,並將她的遺體肢解後藏匿在倉庫中,而他近日被法庭判處無期徒刑。
房東太太「遭悶死肢解」
據《太陽報》報導,這起案件發生在去年11月,警方公布的影片顯示,嫌犯史考特·帕特森(Scott Paterson)冷靜承認說:「我在她的床上把她悶死。」當被問及房東太太安妮特·史密斯(Annette Smith)的下落時,他稍作停頓,然後鎮定地回答說:「沒有完整的遺體……她的遺骸在萊奇沃斯(Letchworth)的一間倉庫裡。」
Scott Paterson, 45, of #Stotfold, #Bedfordshire, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 20 years for the murder of his 74-year-old landlady, Annette Smith
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) November 5, 2024
Paterson suffocated Annette with a pillow on November 8, 2023, then dismembered her body & hid the remains… pic.twitter.com/VHkVZ2Pdsu
事實上,嫌犯與受害者不僅是房東和房客的關係,還是多年的好友。14年前,史密斯邀請帕特森免費住進家中的空房間,不需要支付租金,只需提供陪伴和跑腿服務,兩人還一起度過假期,舉辦晚宴。2018年,史密斯中風後,行動能力受限,帕特森更加承擔起照顧者的責任。
試圖偽造房東活著的假象
帕特森最初在接受警方訊問時曾謊稱房東與一名陌生女性離開,還偽裝身分並寄聖誕卡給死者家屬,試圖偽造史密斯仍然活著的假象,但最終被揭穿。
#COURTNEWS | A man who confessed to killing his 74-year-old landlady before dismembering her and hiding her remains has been sentenced today (Monday).
— Bedfordshire Police (@bedspolice) November 4, 2024
Scott Paterson, 45, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the murder of Annette Smith and was sentenced to life in prison. pic.twitter.com/3zM1aqFMWZ
曾兩次計劃謀殺
警方調查發現,帕特森欠下3萬英鎊(約30萬港元),曾偷走史密斯的珠寶並在網上販售。他坦承在實施真正的犯罪之前,已經兩次計劃謀殺史密斯,但最終都退縮了。
The moment an "abhorrent and deceptive" killer confessed to murdering his landlady, dismembering her body and trying to hide her remains in a storage locker has been revealed in interview-room footage released by police.
— ITV News Anglia (@itvanglia) November 4, 2024
Scott Paterson was jailed today.https://t.co/5hnN7LUx7m
判處無期徒刑
帕特森於今年9月承認謀殺罪,並於本月4日被判無期徒刑,至少需服刑20年後才有機會獲得假釋。