‘Red Rum’ double murderer will spend whole life behind bars for killing woman
A double murderer who called himself Red Rum has been told he will die in jail after killing and dismembering a mum-of-two with power tools and scattering her body parts in a London park.
Steven Sansom, 45, and his partner Gemma Watts, 49, plead guilty to murdering Sarah Mayhew, 38, who was last seen in Sutton on March 8.
The pair had planned the killing to carry out their ‘sadistic and sexual fantasies’, with messages revealing they did not want leave her ‘in one piece’.
Sansom was handed down a Whole Life Order, meaning he will never be released, while Watts held back tears as she was jailed for at least 29 years.
They lured her to a party at Sansom’s flat before attacking her with a knife in the kitchen and lounge, leaving the bedroom free to carry out the clean up.
Sansom disposed of her body in various locations throughout south London with her arms, legs and head discovered in New Addington, Croydon on April 2 by a dog walker.
More body parts were later found around nine miles away in the River Wandle in Mitcham in May.
Tributes to Sarah Mayhew
In a faded picture posted on an ‘in memoriam’ site sits a little girl with a cheeky grin. Above it reads the caption: ‘RIP Cuz’, in tribute to the child who would grow up to be Sarah Mayhew, a social butterfly who loved being surrounded by friends.
Sarah’s remains were discovered on March 8 in Rowdown Fields, South London. Among the many floral tributes and photos left near the scene one card read: ‘Always in our thoughts.’
As further thoughts and messages were posted online, alongside the photo of Sarah as a child, there were many of her out with friends – a smile always on her face as they posed happily for the camera.
Sarah’s death has left ‘a void’ in the life of her family and many friends.
Steven Sansom, 45 – who had previously been convicted of murder in 1999 – has admitted murdering her and perverting the course of justice.
His girlfriend Gemma Watts, 49, also pleaded guilty to murder and perverting the course of justice.
Sarah was found with a shaved head, bruising to her skull and her two small vertebrae in her voice box was broken.
Her mum Angela said she is missed ‘all the time’ by her two children.
She said: ‘Since my daughter was murdered, I struggle to sleep most nights. She was a beautiful pretty girl who had lots of friends who were around from her childhood.
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‘I miss Sarah all the time, from her popping around, making a cup of tea, walking around the shop, having a general catch up and chit chat.
‘It’s a tragedy her two kids were 12 and 15 when their mum went like this. I will always miss you Sarah. Its so sad the way you have gone and the way it happened.’
Sarah’s dad David said: ‘Whatever sentence you receive, it will never compare to the pain you have caused us. It’s heart-breaking.
‘I ask myself the same question all the time. That is: “Why? Why did you have to kill her?”
‘I also feel for your families. You have destroyed their lives, but at least you will get the opportunity to see them again.’
Sansom committed the murder while on life license for slashing a taxi driver’s throat on Christmas Eve in 1988.
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Sansom and Watts, who were in a relationship for seven months before killing Sarah, shared messages about the murder, including shoving his hand down her throat to make her puke.
Sansom even sent a voice note about eating human flesh.
He said: ‘Everyone looks like meat now, don’t they. A play thing. Something to cut, something to bleed.’
In a later message, Watts wrote: ‘I want to taste and have blood on me when we watch the light disappear from someone’s eyes.’
She also told Sansom about her fantasies of seeing dead babies and ‘how they would look begging for life, or cute little clothes torn and littles limbs covered in blood …. twisted and broken.’
Two days after Sarah was last seen, Sansom wrote on Facebook under the name Red Rum, which is murder spelt backwards: ‘Best friends are those who don’t say anything when you show up at their door with a dead body.
‘They just grab a shovel and follow you.’
Mrs Justice Cutts said: ‘Sarah’s fear and suffering must have been acute as she realised why she was there and what was happening.
‘She was an innocent woman lured to that flat to die in order for you could both act out your bloodthirsty and wicked fantasy.’
Prosecutor Tom Little KC said: ‘Both of these defendants acting together conducted a bloodthirsty murder that was planned and premeditated in advance.
‘This murder involved sadistic conduct and sexual conduct.
‘The defendants had exchanged a number of deranged messages including a desire to kill victims with a knife and knives and then have sex with each other while covered in blood.
‘They even discussed eating human flesh.’
Sansom was released from prison in 2019 after he stabbed taxi driver Terence Boyle to death on Christmas Eve in 1998.
The dad-of-two was slashed in the throat after picking up Sansom who was jailed for 20 years for the murder.
After the attack, Sansom told a friend: ‘His kids are going to have to see him in hospital over Christmas.’
He was out on life license when he and Watts attacked Sarah, who was known to the pair.
At a previous hearing, prosecutor Tom Little KC said Sarah was murdered in Sansom’s home while both he and Watts were present.
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