Mother ‘murdered by former fiancé she took pity on'
'She didn't wish him any ill, but she no longer wanted to live with him and no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him,' Ms Oakley said.
'But part of her also felt bad for him, believing that he had no one else to spend that day with.'
Mr Cartwright is said to have spent the morning of his birthday with his other girlfriend in Devon before Ms Mickleburgh picked him up from the station.
The pair arrived at the hotel at about 5.30pm and had arranged to have dinner in the hotel restaurant.
They are said to have had champagne and cake on the terrace before returning to the room.
CCTV shows Samantha changed clothes, but the prosecutor alleged that Mr Cartwright had spent nearly the entire time in the room communicating with other women, including his other girlfriend.
During the meal Ms Mickleburgh reportedly started to feel unwell with staff said to have noticed her 'falling asleep at the table'.
The pair left, with staff describing Mr Cartwright as 'holding the lady up' as they returned to their bedroom.
The prosecution believes Ms Mickleburgh was likely dead by about 1.30am, as at 1.22am Mr Cartwright started deleting images of her from his phone.
Mr Cartwright, 61, is standing trial at Guildford Crown Court accused of raping and murdering Ms Mickleburgh between April 12 and 14 last year.
He also denies one count of controlling and coercive behaviour between May 1 2022 and April 14 2024.
Mr Cartwright called the emergency services to hotel on the morning of April 14 last year after he 'apparently discovered the cold, lifeless body of his partner, lying on her back next to him'.
The prosecutor said a post mortem examination had revealed bruising to Ms Mickleburgh's forehead, scalp, right jaw, left neck and the bursting of blood vessels under the skin.
A 'blunt impact' to the forehead is said to have been so severe that it fractured her skull.
Tests revealed the presence of Mr Cartwright's semen inside her body, the prosecutor said.
'You will have to consider with great care whether…. she voluntarily engaged in intercourse with him,' the prosecutor said.
Cartwright denies the rape and murder of Ms Mickleburgh and controlling and coercive behaviour. The trial continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Accounts manager found wandering drunk near her wrecked BMW that she said an unnamed friend crashed at 5am is banned from driving
An accounts manager found wandering drunk near her wrecked BMW which she claimed her friend crashed during a boozy night out has been banned from driving. Kerry-Anne Cobb, 33, was arrested just yards from her 2-series vehicle in Culcheth, Cheshire, at 5.30pm on May 11 after she had earlier called police to report it as stolen. She was asked to provide a breath sample amid suspicions she had been driving the car but refused and was charged. When quizzed later, Cobb, from Culcheth, who works for a loans company, admitted being drunk at the time of her arrest but insisted an unnamed friend had been driving the car when it crashed and 'told her what to do'. At Warrington Magistrates Court, Cobb pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis when suspected of being the driver. She was fined £769 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £308 and £85 in costs. Cobb was also disqualified from driving for 30 months but was offered the drink drive rehabilitation course which will reduce the ban by a quarter if completed. She had faced up to six months jail under sentencing guidelines. Angela Blackmore, prosecuting, said: 'The incident took place on May 11 at 5.30am. Officers were called to reports of a damage only car accident involving a grey BMW 2 series and that was on Newchurch lane in Culcheth. 'At the same time the defendant calls police to report the theft of her vehicle. She was subsequently situated on Newchurch Lane. 'Officers attended and located the defendant. They found her under the influence of alcohol and she was arrested. 'Due to the lack of an electronic screening device available at that time she was arrested for driving while unfit through drink or drugs. 'She was taken to the custody facility for authorised detention. 'She was asked to comply with the procedure of providing two samples of breath. During the procedure she declined to provide a sample. 'When asked if she would provide a sample she said "No". When asked if she would provide a sample after being given the statutory warning that she would be prosecuted if she failed to provide, she said "No". 'She did not offer any medical reason for not being able to provide a sample for analysis. 'This was a deliberate refusal associated with poor standard of driving and being clearly under the influence. 'She was not required to provide a sample until three hours after the initial time.' Cobb had one previous conviction on her record as a youth for an 'unrelated matter.' Representing herself, she told the court: "I was mentally suffering at the time. I was drunk. It was my friend who was driving and telling me what to do. I just feel ashamed."
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Gang who smuggled £81m of cocaine into Britain as they flooded the streets with class A drugs are jailed for 65 years - after police hacked into their EncroChat messages
A drug smuggling gang who flooded Britain's streets with £81million worth of cocaine have been jailed for a total of 65 years after police hacked into their EncroChat messages. Redon Bushi, 32, from Brentford, west London, was found to be acting as the leader of the group over a number of years. Investigations into his operation revealed the kingpin had been using encrypted communications platform EncroChat and Signal to discuss his drug enterprise. Signal is similar to other secure messaging apps such as Telegram, whereas EncroChat was a communication service only accessible via modified 'EncroPhones' and primarily used by organised crime groups. In 2020, Operation Venetic - a joint effort between the UK, France and the Netherlands - infiltrated the platform, leading to thousands of arrests since. Bushi's messages revealed he had conspired to supply a minimum of 832kg of cocaine, with a street value of up to £81,640,000, across London and the rest of the UK. The kingpin, who acted under the username 'Sealvermouth', pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and possessing criminal property at Kingston Crown Court. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 24 years and 10 months in prison. Bushi was only caught after Met detectives identified and arrested four other members of his gang by piecing together information from their EncroChat messages and hours of CCTV. The gang boss had taken extra steps to protect his dodgy dealings, only providing the couriers with postcodes, times, and a vague description of the customer they would be dropping drugs to. Other tactics used in an attempt to go under the radar included fake identity cards, a van with sophisticated concealment and a camera monitoring the location where they stored the drugs. Despite his efforts, police managed to track down and arrest runner Ahmad Jabarkhill, 32, in June 2020 after stopping one of the vehicles belonging to Bushi's couriers and found him carrying nearly £700,000 in cash. Covert investigations and intelligence were then used to identify three more runners - Arline Sida, 23, Kelvin Hoxha, 23, and Luke Ferguson, 32. In August 2023, Sida and Hoxha were both arrested at an address in Brentford where they were found to be in possession of six kilograms of cocaine. Ferguson was then arrested at a 'safe house' in the same area and was found to be carrying 72kg of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £6.24million. A manhunt was then launched for Bushi who was evading officers by jumping between different hotels and directing others to check cameras at various addresses for any police snooping around. He had also bought a new phone, different clothing, and was carrying over £3,000 in cash. The gang leader was located and arrested a few days later in Reading. Jabarkhill pleaded guilty to the possession of criminal property at Isleworth Crown Court on July 22, 2020, and was sentenced to two years and three months in jail on the same day. Sida, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on January 17, 2024 at Kingston Crown Court and was yesterday handed a sentence of 12 years and 9 months. Hoxha, from Brentford, west London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and driving while disqualified on October 26, 2024 at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months on Wednesday. Ferguson, from Shepherd's Bush, west London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on November 21, 2024, at Kingston Crown Court and was jailed for 14 years and 5 months. Detective Constable David Leitner, who led the investigation on behalf of the Met, said: 'This case demonstrates our relentlessness in pursuing organised crime, while utilising the unprecedented opportunity that Encrochat represent to its fullest effect. 'Bushi clearly believed that these messaging platforms protected him from law enforcement, but they only served to provide us the very evidence to convict him and his associates. 'This shows the Met's commitment to tackling offenders who are instrumental in supplying drugs to the streets of London.'
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reform councillor suspended after being charged with assault at Pride event
A Reform councillor has been suspended from her job with an MP after being charged with assault following an incident at a Pride event. Mandy Clare, who worked in the office of Sarah Pochin, is due to appear in court on 8 August after being arrested at Winsford Pride on 28 June. She was charged with assault and criminal damage and was later released on bail. A spokesperson for Mrs Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, said the office has a 'zero-tolerance policy' for 'disorderly' conduct. 'On 29th June 2025, we were made aware of serious allegations involving a member of staff. She was immediately suspended from her position pending the outcome of the investigation', the spokesperson said. 'We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards any suggestion of disorderly or inappropriate conduct. 'While we fully respect the right to due process and a fair hearing, it would not be appropriate for the individual to continue in her role at this time.' A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said police were called to reports of a disturbance at Winsford Pride around 4.30pm on Saturday, 28 June. They said: 'Officers attended and arrested a 54-year-old woman. Amanda Clare, of Malpas, has since been charged with assault and criminal damage. 'Clare has been bailed and is next due to appear at Crewe Magistrates' Court on Friday 8 August.' They added it was important to remind people that criminal proceedings against Clare are live and that she has a right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice ongoing proceedings,' they said. Ms Clare's suspension comes just days after Reform MP James McMurdock said he will not return to the party after resigning the whip over questions related to Covid loans. The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock 'removed the party whip from himself' last week, pending the outcome of an investigation relating to allegations around 'business propriety during the pandemic'. It follows an investigation by The Sunday Times that alleged two businesses connected to Mr McMurdock took out Covid-19 loans totalling £70,000 during the pandemic, one of which had no employees. Mr McMurdock is the second Reform MP to leave the party following the departure of Rupert Lowe earlier this year, who now also sits as an independent. Mr Lowe was expelled from Reform in March amid allegations of bullying, which he has strongly denied.
