Mum tortured to death was only discovered when neighbours saw maggots crawling out flat


A mum of two’s dead body was only discovered by neighbours when maggots were spotted crawling out from under her front door. Shakira Spencer was killed last September by a trio who she originally thought were friends – in her own West London flat.

The 35-year-old’s death followed a year-long period of torture – which included starvation, burning and slavery – at the hands of Ashana Studholme, Lisa Richardson and Shaun Pendlebury. Spencer was routinely fed only sachets of ketchup and was forced to wake up early and run errands.

She was bundled into her own car by the trio – described as a “pack of feral savages by prosecutor Allison Hunter KC – after having been befriended by 38-year-old Studholme. Spencer was a “healthy” mum when the two met, according to The Sun, but Studholme soon came to dominate her life.

She later got her friend, 44-year-old Richardson, and 26-year-old boyfriend Pendlebury in on the act. Spencer was starved, burned and eventually battered before dying in a hall cupboard after being locked inside.

After this, Spencer’s body was moved to a bunk bed – although it was unclear whether she was dead at this stage. Her body was then left there to rot for weeks.

Ms Hunter told the jury: “Shakira Spencer was clearly viewed as less than human by these three wicked defendants.” Pictures showed Shakira’s body “bruised from head to foot with hollowed black eyes”.

While a cause of death could not be determined, Shakira’s horror injuries included “crushing” where her left ear would have been, lacerations on her scalp and wounds to her left eye socket. There was also “epidermal degloving of the feet, consistent with scalding”, where the top layer of skin had been burned away.

CCTV footage had been captured of the trio shopping for cleaning products, but the court heard that by that stage the decomposition would have been so bad that they decided to just let Shakira be found.

Det Ch Insp Brian Howie, described Shakira as vulnerable. He said: “I think she just wanted to be cared for, loved, have a friendship group around her and was just coerced and manipulated over a long period of time by these people.”

They were found guilty of Shakira’s murder and preventing a lawful burial.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Prince Harry would return to Royal Family ‘a changed man’ and 'pose a risk to the Palace'

Next Story

Prince Harry has 'effectively eroded any possibility' of peace with Royal Family

Latest from News