Evil thug stabbed and mutilated girlfriend in explosion of violence

'You denied her dignity

- By Connor Gordon and Grant McCabe

A JUDGE has ordered a murderer who stabbed, decapitated and dismembered his girlfriend to serve at least 23 years behind bars, telling him he had "robbed her of all dignity in death".

Ewan Methven stabbed Phoenix Spencer-Horn 20 times at their Lanarkshire home last November before posing her body for horrified police to find.

During an earlier hearing at the High Court in Glasgow, the 27-year-old admitted murder and a number of other charges as he appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow. Yesterday, he returned to the same court to be sentenced.

Judge Lord Matthews ordered Methven to spend at least 23 years behind bars before he can be considered for parole.

He told him: “I have rarely read such outpourings of grief as are contained in the Victim Impact Statements from her family, who have endeavoured to put into words what can never truly be encapsulated, the sadness and the deep sense of loss they all feel and will continue to feel thanks to what you did.

“The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant that her family did not even have the comfort of saying goodbye to her. You pleaded guilty to a dreadful crime, namely, the murder of Phoenix Spencer-Horn who was a much-loved and sorely-missed daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend.

“At age 21 and 134 days she was standing at the threshold of what should have been a long fulfilling life.

“You were a trusted member of her family and you betrayed that trust and robbed her of a life in the cruelest way.”