Murder of Becky Watts

Rebecca Marie 'Becky' Watts (3 June 1998 – 19 February 2015) was a 16-year-old student from Crown Hill in the St. George area of Bristol, England, who went missing on 19 February 2015 and whose dismembered body was found on 2 March in Barton Court.^[1]

On 11 November 2015, Watts' stepbrother, Nathan Matthews, was found guilty of her murder; Matthews' girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, was found guilty of her manslaughter. Both were convicted of conspiracy to kidnap Watts.^[1]

On 13 November 2015, Matthews was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 33 years and Hoare was sentenced to 17 years in prison for her role in Watts' death.^[2]

Investigation

Following a highly publicised appeal for information on her whereabouts and intensive police enquiries, body parts believed to be Watts' remains were discovered on 2 March 2015, in a house at Barton Court in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.^[3][4]

Several people were arrested in connection with her murder, and for perverting the course of justice.^[5] On 4 March, Watts' stepbrother Nathan Matthews was charged with her murder.^[6] On 6 March, four other people were charged with assisting an offender, having been accused of helping to hide or dispose of Watts' body parts. A fifth person, a 23-year-old man who was also arrested on 2 March, was released without charge.^[7] On 22 June, Matthews' girlfriend 21-year-old Shauna Hoare, who was originally charged with perverting the course of justice, was also charged with murder. Matthews and Hoare were also charged with conspiracy to commit false imprisonment, preventing lawful burial and possession of an illegal weapon. The pair were also charged with four counts of making indecent images of children, although these were unrelated to Watts' murder. Matthews was also charged with sexual assault and voyeurism, which also were unrelated to Watts' murder.

Trial, verdicts and sentences

The murder trial, at Bristol Crown Court, began on 6 October 2015. Matthews had admitted killing Watts, but denied committing premeditated murder.^[8] On 11 November Matthews was found guilty of murder and Hoare guilty of manslaughter. Matthews and Hoare were also found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and possession of a prohibited weapon. James Ireland and Donovan Demetrius were found not guilty of assisting an offender. However, Donovan's brother Karl Demetrius and his girlfriend Jaydene Parsons admitted assisting an offender.^[9]

On 13 November 2015 Matthews was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment and Hoare to 17 years. The judge, Mr Justice Dingemans, began to sob as he neared the conclusion of his sentencing remarks. He said: "Finally I should like to pay public tribute to the family of Becky for the dignified way in which they have conducted themselves throughout these proceedings" and then continued: "Hearing the evidence during the trial has been difficult for anyone but it is plain that it has been an immense burden for the family." There were tears in his eyes and he left the court quickly.^[10]

On 5 February 2016, Demetrius and Parsons were sentenced after admitting assisting an offender. Demetrius was sentenced to two years imprisonment while Parsons was given a 16 month prison sentence.^[11]

References