Bedfordshire man sentenced to life in prison for murdering and dismembering landlady
45-year-old Scott Paterson pleaded guilty to Annette Smith's murder in September
Last updated 5th Nov 2024
A man who pleaded guilty to murdering and dismembering his 74-year-old landlady has been jailed for life.
45-year-old Scott Paterson, of no fixed address, will serve a minimum of 19 years and 178 days behind bars for the murder of Annette Smith.
Paterson was sentenced today at Luton Crown Court, after pleading guilty at a pre-trial preparation hearing on September 9th.
Annette Smith was murdered at the home she shared with Paterson, in Fairfield, Stotfold, in November last year.
He then hid her remains in a Letchworth storage unit.
Paterson tried to avoid raising concern by sending Moonpig cards and Christmas messages to family and friends, pretending she was alive.
His attempts to cover up the murder continued when he reported to police Annette had left her home with an unknown woman.
Family raised concerns
Annette's family later raised their concerns with Police in April, leading to an investigation being launched by the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire Major Crime Unit.
Detectives found Annette's passport and clothing were at home with the laptop used to send messages.
During his arrest, Paterson admitted to her murder and directed police to the storage unit where he was hiding her remains.
Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias, who led the investigation, described Paterson as "a very cold and calculated individual" after pleading guilty, noting that his actions to conceal his crime was misleading to Annette's friends and family.
Chief Inspector Dounias described Annette's death as "tragic and deeply saddening".