Body parts search continues after woman’s remains found in park
Gemma Watts, 48, and Steven Sansom, 44, were arrested on Saturday and subsequently charged with murder.
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Police are searching for a dismembered torso after a woman was allegedly murdered, cut up with power tools and dumped in a park.
Remains belonging to Sarah Mayhew, 38, were found in Rowdown Fields in New Addington, south London last Tuesday.
Police had been called to the scene after a dog walker saw his animal had uncovered a human bone.
Arms, legs and a head were then found nearby and identified as belonging to Ms Mayhew by her DNA.
Police are continuing to search for the victim’s torso, the Old Bailey heard.
Gemma Watts, 48, and Steven Sansom, 44, were arrested on Saturday and subsequently charged with her murder and preventing her lawful and decent burial.
It is alleged that the couple killed Ms Mayhew at a residential property before her body was dismembered with power tools.
The cause of the victim’s death remains unascertained.
However, an examination of her body found two small vertebrae were broken in her voicebox, bruising to the skull and her head had been shaved.
Ms Mayhew was last seen in Sutton, south-west London, on the evening of March 8.
On Thursday, Sansom and Watts appeared separately at the Old Bailey before Judge Philip Katz KC.
Watts, of Featherbed Lane in New Addington, appeared first by video link from Bronzefield prison followed later by Sansom from Belmarsh jail.
Watts appeared to have a dark bruise around her eye and both defendants spoke only to confirm their identities.
The court heard that both she and Sansom are alleged to have killed Ms Mayhew at the residential property on the night of March 8 before disposing of the body.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC: “This is quite a significant ongoing investigation in relation to the whereabouts of the entirety of the deceased’s body.
“The deceased’s body was certainly cut up in parts with use of power tools.”
Judge Katz set a plea hearing for June 27 and a provisional four-week trial from February 17 next year.
The Old Bailey judge remanded the defendants into custody.
Sansom, of Burnell Road, Sutton, south-west London, also faces three separate charges of making indecent images of a child.
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