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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Phillips

'This world is too cruel': Tributes left for Croydon woman whose body was found cut up in park

Floral tributes have been placed at the scene in south London where the remains of a 38-year-old woman were found.

Police are hunting for Sarah Mayhew’s missing torso after her body was allegedly cut up with power tools and dumped in a south London park, a court heard on Thursday.

Gemma Watts, 48, and Steven Sansom, 44, are accused of murdering the Croydon woman at a private property on March 8.

A tribute left to Ms Mayhew in Rowdown Fields (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

It is said her remains were then cut up and disposed of in Rowdown Fields in New Addington, south London.

At least 25 floral tributes have been placed at the scene, with some pinned up against a shipping container in the park.

Heartbreaking messages have been left in Ms Mayhew’s memory, with photos of the victim also being displayed.

One card read: “Rest in peace Sarah. Condolences to family and friends at this tragic time. This world is too cruel.”

A second heartbreaking message read: “You are now in the arms of the angels” while another added “always in our thoughts”.

A wall of tributes have been created on a shipping container in the park (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey on Thursday that since police were first called out to the park last Tuesday morning to investigate human remains, parts of Ms Mayhew’s body have been identified but some are still missing.

“The deceased’s body was certainly cut up into a number of parts with use of power tools,” he said.

“There is an ongoing investigation in relation to the whereabouts of the entirety of the deceased’s body.”

The scene at Rowdown Fields in New Addington (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

The court has heard Ms Mayhew’s torso is still missing. Police were first alerted when a dog came across a human bone.

Arms, legs, and a head were then located nearby in the park, with DNA tests confirming them as belonging to Ms Mayhew.

Watts and Sansom have both been charged with murder and preventing the lawful and decent burial of Ms Mayhew’s body.

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