A man has admitted murdering and decapitating his 21-year-old girlfriend before texting her mother pretending to be her and searching for internet pornography.
Ewan Methven, now 27, murdered Phoenix Spencer-Horn, 21, in the home they shared on November 16 last year, after the couple ordered a takeaway to their flat in Glen Lee, East Kilbride on a Saturday night.
Earlier that day, Methven, who worked as a postman for Royal Mail, had complained to his girlfriend that her waitress shifts made him “lonely”, and she had exchanged messages with her mother, Alison Spencer, at around 9.37pm, saying they were eating dinner.
The couple had been together for two years and met at a family party, the High Court in Glasgow was told.
Around midnight on the Saturday, Methven attacked Miss Spencer-Horn with three knives, stabbing her 20 times, before mutilating her body and severing her head with three knives, the court heard.
He spent the weekend driving Ms Spencer-Horn’s red Corsa, scrolling through her phone and searching for internet pornography, as well as making several attempts to buy cocaine, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutor Christopher McKenna said: “The accused murdered his girlfriend, Phoenix Spencer-Horn, in the top-floor flat they shared. Late on Saturday November 16, he strangled her and stabbed her. He dialled 999 but not until November 18.
“Her mutilated and decapitated body was discovered only on November 18.”
The court heard that Miss Spencer-Horn had seen her mother the day before and had been in good spirits at work the day she was murdered.
Mr McKenna said: “The police recovered texts between the accused and Phoenix, he complained of feeling lonely because of the hours she worked and he apologised.”
The court heard that a food order was placed around 8pm and Methven “did not appear to be drunk or under the influence by the delivery driver”, however, in a 999 call, he claimed that the murder happened when he had a psychotic episode induced by cocaine, alcohol and steroids.
On Tuesday, Methven pleaded guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Glasgow.