A East Kilbride Killer postman, Ewan Methven, who killed and decapitated his 21-year-old girlfriend and subsequently searched for online pornography 170 times has been sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison.
Ewan Methven, aged 27, killed Phoenix Spencer-Horn in their residence in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on November 16, 2024, following the couple’s order of a takeaway to their flat in Glen Lee.
Prior to the homicide, Miss Spencer-Horn communicated via text with her mother, indicating that they were having supper. At approximately midnight, neighbours reported perceiving heightened activity in the uppermost apartment.
The High Court in Glasgow was informed that Ewan Methven assaulted Miss Spencer-Horn, inflicting 20 stab wounds, 10 of which were to her face, before disfiguring her body and decapitating her, as presented in court.
Ewan Methven also strangled her, conducted 170 searches for internet pornography, and made many efforts to purchase cocaine, before spending the weekend driving Miss Spencer-Horn’s red Corsa and texting her mother while feigning that she was still alive, according to authorities.
On the day of the homicide, Ewan Methven communicated to his partner of two years, expressing that her shifts as a waiter rendered him “lonely,” as presented in court.
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, Ewan 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.
Ewan 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, Ewan 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.
Ewan 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.
However, he said Ewan 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 Ewan 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.”
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