A cold and calculated killer who dismembered his landlady and stashed her body in a storage unit before sending Christmas cards to cover his tracks has been jailed for at least 19 years.
Scott Paterson, 45, had lived as a tenant with “trusting and generous” Annette Smith for several years but then began caring for her while she was recovering from a stroke.
He admitted suffocating the 74-year-old with a pillow in the home they shared in the village of Fairfield in Bedfordshire in November last year, saying the demands of her care caused him to snap.
The deli and butcher counter worker then hacked into her email account and sent Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to convince her family and friends she was still alive.
Ms Smith’s stepson, Jason Smith, described his stepmother as a “very kind and caring person” who was “always there for me throughout the years”.
He told a court he had initially believed the defendant, described by other witnesses as a “gentle giant”, was a “nice guy”, but that in reality he was an “evil man”.
He added: “I will never forgive (him) for what he did, I hate him from the bottom of my heart.”
Paterson, wearing a blue polo shirt and grey trousers, bowed his head and kept his eyes closed as Mr Smith delivered his victim impact statement at Luton Crown Court.
Sentencing him life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years and 178 days years on Monday, judge Edward Murray described Paterson’s actions as “awful” and “callous”, adding: “My sentence that I pass today cannot compensate for the families and friends of Annette Smith or her tragic loss.”
The court heard that the pair had met 14 years earlier and Ms Smith had offered him rent-free accommodation in her home after Paterson experienced a relationship breakdown. They had a close friendship, went on holiday together and hosted dinner parties.
In 2018, Ms Smith suffered a stroke which limited her mobility and Paterson took on caring responsibilities, including collecting prescriptions and doing her shopping.
In 2023, her estranged husband Peter Smith, who held a 20 per cent stake in the home, had asked her to sell the property because of his struggling business.
Ms Smith initially did not want to move out, but Paterson claimed he “felt pressured” to encourage her to go through with a sale.
He also said she had become “more demanding” since her stroke five years earlier.
On 8 November 2023, Paterson entered Ms Smith’s bedroom and suffocated her with a pillow. He left her in her bed and drank a bottle of wine before dragging her body into the bathroom and wrapping it in a green blanket.
Prosecutors told the court he had continued to talk to her about “every day things like normal”. He moved the body to a cupboard under the stairs after receiving notice that a photographer from the estate agent would be coming to take pictures of the house.
Paterson, who was working on a deli and butcher counter at a farm shop at the time, later dismembered Ms Smith’s body with a kitchen knife and saw.
He wrapped parts of her body in plastic bags and hid her torso inside a black suitcase, which he took to the storage unit in Letchworth.
In an effort to pretend she was still alive, Paterson used his victim’s email address to send Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to family and friends.
However, in January 2021 Ms Smith’s family raised concerns with Bedfordshire Police about her welfare. When he was questioned by detectives on her disappearance, Paterson initially claimed she had left their home in a car with an unknown woman, sparking a police appeal.
In April that year police launched a high-risk missing person investigation after her family found her passport, mobile phone and other personal belongings in her home.
When he was arrested, Paterson led police to the storage unit. He said he had considered killing Ms Smith at least twice before and had only stopped himself when he reached her bedroom door.
He also told officers he had racked up £30,000 in credit card debt and had stolen jewellery from Ms Smith which he had been selling on Cash4Gold, the court heard.
Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias, who led the investigation, said: “While in a position of trust, Paterson cruelly took advantage of Annette’s vulnerabilities which culminated in him not only ending her life, but taking abhorrent and deceptive steps to conceal his crimes.
“This was compounded by his efforts to make a financial gain by selling Annette’s belongings.”
A tribute put together by Annette’s family read: “We are totally heartbroken and devastated that Annette has been taken away from us in such a cruel and senseless way. She was a beautiful, caring, trusting and generous lady, who meant so much to so many people.”
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