A “sadistic killer” lab technician has been convicted of murdering his work colleague at his parents’ home before dumping her body in a country lane.
Ross McCullam, who had admitted manslaughter, claimed he could not be guilty of murdering 23-year-old Megan Newborough, because he acted after a loss of control inadvertently triggered by his victim.
The 30-year-old sought to blame Miss Newborough, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, claiming he went into a “blind rage” set off by undiagnosed PTSD caused by unreported childhood sexual abuse.
McCullam told a jury the fatal incident was inadvertently triggered when Newborough allegedly prepared to give him oral sex at his parents’ home, in Windsor Close, Coalville, Leicestershire, on August 6, 2021.
But he was unanimously convicted in just over an hour and a half by a Leicester Crown Court jury on Monday.
McCullam, who was standing to hear the verdict, simply nodded as it was read by the jury’s foreman.
McCullam was undone by his own lies, including having earlier told detectives during a police interview that how, not content with strangling her – he waited on his own account for up to 10 minutes before fetching a carving knife and cutting her throat.
McCullam, who took medication for ADHD, claimed he only used a knife because he was scared people – including Miss Newborough – would have been “upset” and “cross” at him for having throttled her.
Having killed her, he then embarked on an elaborate cover-up, driving Miss Newborough’s body in her own car to a country lane, where he dumped her remains near Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire.
Before driving off, McCullam – who had no driving licence – also sent a text message, asking if she had made it home safe, including one reading “You are amazing”, along with kisses and a smiling emoji.
In a chilling postscript to his crime, McCullam – in a voice message sent to Miss Newborough’s phone, knowing she was by then dead – said: “I had a fun time earlier.”
In the hours following the killing, he then watched pornography for 17 minutes – part of an hour-a-day porn-watching habit.
McCullam, who had admitted manslaughter, claimed he could not be guilty of murdering 23-year-old Miss Newborough because he acted after a loss of control.
He sought to blame Miss Newborough, claiming he went into a “blind rage” set off by undiagnosed PTSD caused by unreported childhood sexual abuse.
McCullam, 30, told a jury the incident was triggered when Miss Newborough allegedly prepared to give him oral sex at his parents’ home in Windsor Close, Coalville, Leicestershire, on August 6, 2021.
But he was undone by his own lies, including having told detectives in a police interview after his arrest that, not content with strangling her – he then waited nearly 10 minutes before fetching a carving knife and cutting her throat.
McCullam, who was stood in the court dock to hear the jury, nodded twice as the verdict was read by the foreman.
Miss Newborough’s mother, father and sister, who had had to sit through a six-week trial hearing harrowing and upsetting evidence – much of it for the first time – cried and hugged one another at the back of court as the verdict was returned.
Judge Philip Head excused the jurors from further jury service for life, thanking them for their work on the case.
McCullam, who is in custody, will be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
