Man faces jail for murdering girlfriend and trying to cover up her death
Phoenix Spencer-Horn's body was found on Glen Lee in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, in November last year.
Prosecutors said Ewan Methven, 27, attacked Ms Spencer-Horn by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a knife or knives. Police Scotland Ewan Methven.
The court heard Methven choked Ms Spencer-Horn, before severing her head and trying to remove her limbs and torso from her body.
Tony Graham, Methven's KC, entered guilty pleas to charges of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court last month.
Methven is due to appear in the dock for sentencing on Monday morning.
Methven, now 27, murdered Ms Spencer-Horn, 21, in the home they shared on November 16 last year, after the couple ordered a takeaway to their flat in Glen Lee, East Kilbride on a Saturday night.
Earlier that day, Methven, who worked as a postman for Royal Mail, had complained to his girlfriend that her waitress shifts made him 'lonely', and she had exchanged messages with her mother, Alison Spencer, at around 9.37pm, saying they were eating dinner.
The couple had been together for two years and met at a family party, the High Court in Glasgow was told.
Around midnight on the Saturday, Methven attacked Miss Spencer-Horn with three knives, stabbing her 20 times, before mutilating her body and severing her head with three knives, the court heard.
He spent the weekend driving Ms Spencer-Horn's red Corsa, scrolling through her phone and searching for internet pornography, as well as making several attempts to buy cocaine, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutor Christopher McKenna said: 'The accused murdered his girlfriend, Phoenix Spencer-Horn, in the top-floor flat they shared. Late on Saturday November 16, he strangled her and stabbed her. He dialled 999 but not until November 18.
'Her mutilated and decapitated body was discovered only on November 18.'
The court heard that Miss Spencer-Horn had seen her mother the day before and had been in good spirits at work the day she was murdered.
Mr McKenna said: 'The police recovered texts between the accused and Phoenix, he complained of feeling lonely because of the hours she worked and he apologised.'
The court heard that a food order was placed around 8pm and Methven 'did not appear to be drunk or under the influence by the delivery driver', however, in a 999 call, he claimed that the murder happened when he had a psychotic episode induced by cocaine, alcohol and steroids.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Customs officials find tarantulas hidden in spongecake boxes
Customs officials have released photos from a seizure of roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that had been hidden in chocolate spongecake boxes shipped to an airport in western Germany. Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a 'noticeable smell' that did not resemble the expected aroma of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said. 'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Mr Ahland said in a statement. Mr Ahland hailed an 'extraordinary seizure,' but one that 'saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit'. PA Media Plastic containers holding young tarantulas. PA Media Many of the eight-legged creatures did not survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Mr Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed. Criminal proceedings are under way against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said. The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
7 hours ago
- STV News
Man, 38, charged after 12-year-old girl 'raped'
A man has been charged after a 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Renfrewshire. The alleged incident occurred in Johnstone on Sunday. On Monday, police confirmed a 38-year-old had been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. He is due to appear in court at a later date Detective Inspector David Hardie said: 'We know this incident has caused concern in the local community and I would like to thank members of the public for their support during our enquiries.' STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
ITV News
7 hours ago
- ITV News
Postman who stabbed and beheaded girlfriend jailed for life
A postman who murdered and decapitated his 21-year-old girlfriend before searching for internet pornography 170 times has been jailed for life, with a minimum of 23 years. Ewan Methven, 27, murdered Phoenix Spencer-Horn in the home they shared in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on November 16 2024, after the couple ordered a takeaway to their flat near Glasgow. 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 the family home of Phoenix's family and appreciates in 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.'
