Postman who strangled, stabbed and decapitated girlfriend jailed for 23 years
In the hours before the killing, Miss Spencer-Horn had texted her mother to say they were eating dinner.
Around midnight, neighbours reported hearing 'increased activity' in the top-floor flat.
The High Court in Glasgow was told that Methven attacked Miss Spencer-Horn, stabbing her 20 times, including 10 times in the face, before mutilating her body and severing her head, the court heard.
Methven had also strangled her, searched for internet pornography 170 times and made repeated attempts to buy cocaine, before spending the weekend driving around in Miss Spencer-Horn's red Corsa, and texting her mother pretending she was still alive, according to prosecutors.
On the day of the murder, Methven had sent a message to his partner of two years, saying that her waitress shifts made him 'lonely', the court heard.
Miss Spencer-Horn was described as being in 'good spirits' by colleagues at a hotel where she worked, and had replied to her boyfriend apologising, the court heard.
After the murder, Methven – who had met his partner at a family party – texted Miss Spencer-Horn's mother, Alison Spencer, pretending to be her.
He texted: 'Hey sorry I've just woken up xxx' before searching for pornography, the court heard.
On November 18, at about midday, he dialled 999 and told a call-handler: 'I had a psychotic break and killed my wife.'
He said: 'We were messing about, I take steroids and was taking cocaine and alcohol, I think there was something else in it … it was f****** horrible.'
He was transferred to a senior police officer, and said: 'I just want to go to jail', and added: 'I have been out my face, I can't remember what happened. I have been driving about all weekend.'
Police officers discovered Miss Spencer-Horn's mutilated body hidden under a towel. Methven admitted attempting to remove the limbs and torso from her body with a knife or other instrument.
Prosecutor Christopher McKenna previously said that on November 17, Methven accessed pornography from about 8am until about 6.30pm and was noted to have accessed a pornographic video site 170 times, according to forensic analysis.
Methven pleaded guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Glasgow.
The court heard he had no previous convictions and, on Monday, he was jailed for 23 years after appearing by videolink at the High Court in Glasgow.
Defending, Tony Graham KC, said, in 2024, Methven realised he had an addiction problem, and had written a letter to the judge saying 'in relation to the harm that could cause, it could only be harm to himself', regarding cocaine, steroids and other drugs.
Mr Graham read from the letter, which said: 'I know how loved Phoenix was and how she made her family complete. I can't believe I've taken her from them.'
He told the court: 'Mr Methven is in a position where he can offer no explanation as to why the course of events which led to Phoenix's death took place, other than his own self-administration of drugs.'
He said that Methven 'insists he has taken the life of a person he loved, and appreciates he has caused an enormous void in that family', and 'struggles to reconcile how he could have caused that destruction', the court heard.
Mr Graham said that Methven had been 'taken into family home of Phoenix's family and appreciates in that that two-year period he was adopted into that family', and described the murder as 'a betrayal', the court heard.
However, he said Methven could not explain why it happened, and added: 'He has flashbacks but no real memory as to how things progressed to this destruction of human life.'
Imposing a life sentence, Judge Lord Matthews said Methven had admitted a 'truly dreadful crime'.
Lord Matthews said: 'At 21 years old, she was standing at the threshold of what should have been a long and fulfilling life. You were a trusted member of her family but betrayed that trust.
'For reasons no-one will ever understand you strangled her and stabbed her 20 times, including 10 in the face. You robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and trying to dismember her.
'For two days after, you indulged in drug abuse and watching pornography, contacting her mother and pretending to be her.'
He added: 'The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant her family did not have the comfort of saying goodbye to her.'
The judge told Methven: 'The letter by you answers none of the questions which must be plaguing the family. You blame the effect of substances but that is no excuse.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Ex-wife of super rich equity boss was fighting her celebrity antiques dealer fiance for their £2.7m 18th century London home when she fell to her death from tower block
A mother who fell to her death from a city centre apartment block was embroiled in a bitter legal fight with her celebrity antiques dealer fiancé over their £2.7million London home. Rachel O'Hare, 49, was suing her ex-lover Owen Pacey, 60, for ownership of the five-storey Georgian mansion, in the trendy area of Spitalfields, before she died. According to court documents seen by the Mail, she claims she paid for the property and it was rightfully hers. Ms O'Hare alleged that Mr Pacey, a former squatter and self-made antique fireplace expert who counts Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Kate Winslet and Orlando Bloom among his clients, had locked her out of the luxury home. She says he stopped her from collecting her belongings, refused to pay any bills and threatened to 'trash' the interior, which is packed with beautiful artwork, ornate Italian chandeliers and expensive designer furniture. The couple, who split acrimoniously in May last year, were due to go head to head over the property at a High Court trial in the next few months. But just four days after the most recent hearing in the case, at Leeds Combined Court, on June 26, Ms O'Hare was found dead. The exact details of what happened during the costs and case management hearing are unknown, but on June 30 her body was discovered on the pavement next to an apartment complex, in Manchester city centre, where she was living. Police said there are no suspicious circumstances and an inquest into her death is due to open next week. In a statement to the court, Ms O'Hare claimed Mr Pacey persuaded her to buy the elegant 18th Century house, in Wilkes Street, east London, in their joint names, in June 2021. She took out a loan and also used the proceeds of her divorce settlement from ex-husband, Steve O'Hare, 50, a Cheshire-based millionaire investment manager, with whom she had three teenage children, to pay for it. At that time, she and Mr Pacey had been together for less than a year following a whirlwind romance after meeting at his high-end fireplace showroom, Renaissance, which is based in a former Victorian pub, in Shoreditch, east London. Legal papers seen by MailOnline show that when the former couple bought the house together in 2021, they both signed an agreement specifying that if one of them were to die, ownership of the house would pass to the surviving partner The documents, drawn up by the solicitors who had handled the purchase of the historic Spitalfields house, had offered Mr Pacey and Ms O'Hare two options: they could either each own a specified proportion of the whole property or they could jointly own the whole with full ownership reverting to the surviving partner if the other predeceased them. Because they chase the latter option, the documents, signed on 1st August 2021, mean Owen Pacey became the sole owner of the £2.7 million 18th property in London following Rachel O'Hare's sudden death. In a newspaper interview while they were still a couple, Mr Pacey claimed it was love at first sight when they first met. 'She bought a table,' he said. 'That was it, as soon as I saw her.' Ms O'Hare said Mr Pacey, who was brought up in a council flat in gritty Bethnal Green and left school at 14 with no qualifications, promised to pay her his share of the four-bedroomed property within two years, once he had sold the £1.2million maisonette above the shop that he owned. 'The first defendant (Mr Pacey) said he had no money to contribute when the property was purchased but would be able to pay the claimant for his share in due course,' legal documents said. To give her peace of mind, Ms O'Hare said Mr Pacey also agreed to put half of his fireplace business, worth around £5million, in her name until he secured the monies. She also claimed they agreed to share the cost of renovating the house – they spent £14,000 on radiator valves alone – and, if he didn't pay his share or they split, it would revert back to her ownership. Mr Pacey gave her paperwork to sign, which persuaded her he was arranging the legal formalities, and also sent her reassuring texts, saying: 'You are on the title deed either of the flat or shop,' she said. Steve O'Hare (left) is co-managing partner of Equistone Partners Europe. Tributes have poured in for Rachel (right) who co-founded a charity for victims of domestic violence Shortly before Christmas, in 2022, the couple got engaged and Mr Pacey did 'gift' Ms O'Hare a 50 per cent share in the three-bedroomed maisonette. He moved into the newly renovated Wilkes Street property and told a journalist: 'I used to dream about living in Spitalfields. To actually live there now – I've never been so happy.' But Ms O'Hare remained in Mere, Cheshire, with her three school-age children and 10 months later, in October 2023, the couple's 'turbulent' relationship started hitting the rocks. Ms O'Hare discovered Mr Pacey had never formalised her 50 per cent stake in his business and they began arguing regularly over money. She claimed she had ended up paying the lion's share of the house refurbishment when he failed to pay builders' fees. She also alleged Mr Pacey was 'controlling' and instructed lawyers to begin legal action against him. 'The relationship between the claimant (Ms O'Hare) and the first defendant (Mr Pacey) was turbulent,' Ms O'Hare's claim said. 'Incidents led to temporary separations and there was a final and unequivocal parting in May 2024. 'The claimant contends that the cause of the breakdowns was the first defendant's controlling and abusive behaviour, which led to the involvement of the police.' In a defence statement also submitted to the court, Mr Pacey denied persuading Ms O'Hare, a respected fundraiser who set up a domestic abuse charity providing toiletries for women living in refuges, to buy the house in their joint names. He said she did so because they were 'in love' and there was no discussion or agreement about him eventually paying for half of the house or transferring over 50 per cent of his business. 'The parties (Ms O'Hare and Mr Pacey) were going to get married and there was just no discussion about who owned what,' his defence document said. Mr Pacey, who once described being made homeless and forced to live in a squat in King's Cross after having his first flat repossessed in the 1980s as the 'most traumatic thing I've ever been through,' also denied being controlling. He said they had only argued seriously twice - both times when Ms O'Hare had been drunk, in Rye, Kent, in the summer of 2023 and the night before they were departing to New York in May 2024. He also denied not allowing Ms O'Hare access to the property, now estimated to be worth in excess of £3.2m, or not paying bills or threatening to trash it. He claimed he paid £70,000 towards the house renovation and provided most of the furniture from his shop. He had also installed six Italian marble fireplaces, worth £350,000, and claimed Ms O'Hare had organised glossy magazine features to show off and promote the 2,700sq ft house, which they planned to rent out for use in £1,000-a-day photo shoots. According to his statement, dated February this year, he wanted to get the maisonette and the Georgian home valued, so that he could buy her out of both properties. When approached by the Mail, Mr Pacey refused to discuss his legal dispute with his former fiancee except to say: 'I worshipped the ground Rachel walked on.' He added that Ms O'Hare had been suffering from poor mental health in the weeks leading up to her death and had recently been treated in hospital. Mr Pacey said: 'I'm suffering with my own mental health. I don't want to be here without her.'
Daily Record
18 hours ago
- Daily Record
Dog killed and three people injured in crash with stolen car near Inverness
A dog has been killed in a crash involving a stolen car near Inverness as three people were rushed to hospital. Three people have been rushed to hospital and a dog has died following a serious crash involving a stolen car near Inverness. Emergency crews raced to the A96 at Newton of Petty at 8.45am on Friday July 18 after receiving reports of a serious collision involving a stolen car from the Buckie area. The 50-year-old female driver of a red Vauxhall Corsa was taken by air ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The 74-year-old female passenger of a black Volvo XC60 was also taken by air ambulance to the same hospital, while the 74-year-old male driver was taken by road ambulance to Raigmore Hospital. A dog travelling in the Corsa died at the scene. The A96 was closed for crash investigation work to carried out and re-opened around 6.30pm. Enquiries so far have established that the Corsa was stolen from the Great Western Road area of Buckie around 7.30am the same morning. Sergeant Ewan Calder said: 'Our enquiries into the crash and the events leading up to it are ongoing and I would like to thank everyone who has come forward and spoken to officers so far. 'In particular we would like to speak to anyone with information relating to the theft of the Corsa and also if you were driving in the area between the time it was stolen and the time of the crash to please check any dash-cam footage. 'If you have captured anything that could assist with our enquiries into the theft and the crash and have not spoken to us already then please get in touch.' Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0755 of Friday, 18 July, 2025. Earlier today, in a separate incident, we reported that a car burst into flames after it was "abandoned" following a crash in Glasgow. Police spotted the vehicle "allegedly driving at speed" along Govan Road in the early hours of Friday, July 18. The vehicle later crashed on Harmony Row, with officers saying three occupants ran from the wreckage, reports Glasgow Live. The vehicle then caught fire, however police confirmed there were no injuries. An image from the scene shows massive flames coming from the scene where emergency crews raced to. A 21-year-old man was later traced by officers nearby on Roseneath Street. He was arrested and charged and appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday. Police say enquiries remain ongoing. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'At around 1.35am on Friday, 18 July, 2025 officers on patrol observed a vehicle allegedly driving at speed on Govan Road. ' Officers traced the vehicle which had crashed on Harmony Row. Three people from the car made off on foot from police. 'The vehicle caught fire when abandoned. Nobody was injured as a result. 'A 21-year-old man was traced by officers a short distance away on Roseneath Street and arrested. He has been charged in connection with the incident and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, 18 July. 'Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing.' A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We were alerted at 1.39am on Friday, 18 July, to reports of one vehicle on fire on Govan Road, Glasgow. "Operations Control mobilised one appliance to the scene, where firefighters extinguished a fire affecting one car. "There were no casualties and crews left the scene at 2.09am after ensuring the area was made safe." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Police Scotland ban uniformed officers from taking part in Pride march
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH cops have been banned from marching in pride parades while on-duty. An LGBT+ march will be held on the streets of Glasgow today, but unlike previous years there will be no uniformed cops taking part. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A pride parade will be held in Glasgow today Credit: Getty 4 Uniformed cops will not be taking part Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun Glasgow 4 The march decision followed a ruling from the High Court Credit: Tom Farmer It comes after an English police force was found to have "breached impartiality" by the High Court. Northumbria Police's Chief Constable was found to have acted unlawfully by allowing uniformed cops to take in part in last year's Newcastle Pride. It was argued officers taking part in the parade could harm the force's impartiality if a dispute kicked off between gender-critical and trans rights supporters. After the ruling, Scottish cops are now not marching in the event today in Glasgow. It is understood uniformed officers were already not taking part in the parade, but the court ruling saw force chiefs ditch plans for information stalls had been ditched. Officers will still be able to attend the pride parade if they are off duty. Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs told the Daily Mail: "Police Scotland has vast experience in policing events and in the coming days we will continue to do so in a professional, engaging, and proportionate manner. "Glasgow's Pride will be no different and we will continue to engage closely with event organisers, although no officers will participate in forthcoming events in uniform. "We continue to review the UK High Court judgement on Northumbria Police's participation in Newcastle Pride 2024 and its implications. "We will ensure Police Scotland's response to events continues to be in line with our values and code of ethics, providing a professional and impartial service which upholds the human rights of all." NYC Pride ends in chaos after teen girl shot in the head near Stonewall Inn hours after 50 hurt by bear spray attack The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file cops welcomed the decision. SPF General Secretary David Kennedy said they support the values of pride but said officers taking part in any kind of march could harm the force's objectivity. He said: "The SPF proudly supports the principles and values of the Pride movement, including equality, inclusion, and the right of all individuals - regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity - to live free from discrimination and prejudice. "Participating in any march while on duty, including Pride, can give rise to questions around neutrality and may impact perceptions of police objectivity. "Officers who wish to take part in Pride events in their own time should be supported and encouraged to do so, and we welcome efforts to facilitate this wherever possible. 'Supporting Pride and supporting operational clarity are not mutually exclusive—we believe both can, and should, co-exist."
