A farm shop butcher who dismembered his 74-year-old landlady and then sent Christmas cards to her family has been jailed for at least 19 years.

Scott Paterson, 45, suffocated Annette Smith with a pillow at their shared home in Fairfield, Bedfordshire, and later dismembered her body with a kitchen knife, Luton Crown Court was told on Monday.

The “evil” man hid the pensioner’s remains in a storage unit in November 2023, pretending she was still alive by sending emails from her account, and Christmas cards to her family.

Ms Smith’s family raised welfare concerns with Bedfordshire Police in January 2024, but officers said there was insufficient evidence to deem her a missing person.

On April 15, police issued an appeal for information about Ms Smith’s whereabouts after her family found her passport, mobile phone and laptop at her home. The investigation was upgraded to a murder inquiry five days later.

Paterson initially told police Ms Smith had left their home with an unknown woman but later made a full admission, directing police to the storage unit in Letchworth. In court, he pleaded guilty to murder.

Judge Edward Murray described Paterson’s actions as “awful” and “callous” before sentencing him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years and 178 days.

The court heard Paterson had met Ms Smith 14 years earlier, when she offered him rent-free accommodation after he experienced a “relationship breakdown”.

Paterson and Ms Smith went on holiday together and hosted dinner parties, before she suffered a stroke in 2018 which limited her mobility and turned Paterson into her carer.

In 2023, her estranged husband Peter Smith, who held a 20 per cent stake in the home, asked her to sell the property because of his struggling business.

Although Ms Smith initially did not want to move out, Paterson encouraged her to go through with a sale as she had become “more demanding” since her stroke.

Suffocation

After Ms Smith agreed to speak to estate agents, Paterson suffocated her, on Nov 8 2023. The estate agency continued to market the property after her death, of which they were unaware.

Paterson drank a bottle of wine before dragging the body into the bathroom, then into a cupboard under the stairs to avoid the suspicions of a photographer sent by the estate agency.

Paterson, who was working on a deli and butcher counter at a farm shop at the time, later dismembered Ms Smith, wrapped her body parts in plastic bags and hiding her torso inside a black suitcase.

Paterson said he had considered killing Ms Smith at least twice before and, having racked up £30,000 in credit card debt, admitted he had been stealing and selling Ms Smith’s jewellery on Cash4Gold.

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 the courtroom 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.”

The family of a 10-year-old mauled to death by a dog in north Yorkshire has paid tribute to their “wonderful girl”.

Savannah Bentham died from serious injuries after being bitten by the dog in the family’s home near the market town of Malton on Friday afternoon.

The breed of dog has not been disclosed but police said the attack was “out of character” and that Savannah had a “close, loving relationship” with the pet.

In a statement released to the press, Savannah’s family said: “We are utterly shocked and devastated by what happened to Savannah. We can’t believe we have lost our wonderful girl who we love so much.

“We thank everyone for their support and kindness as we struggle to come to terms with our loss. We ask that our family’s privacy is respected while we grieve for Savannah.”

Police confirmed the dog will be put down and that a post-mortem on Savannah, who suffered serious injuries in the attack, took place on Sunday evening.

An inquest is due to open and adjourn in the coming days.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire police said: “Our officers are continuing to support the family while inquiries continue.

“We again urge people not to speculate about the incident and to respect the family’s wish for privacy to grieve in peace.”