Court hears man murdered ex after arranging his birthday celebrations at Surrey hotel
James Cartwright is on trial accused of rape and murder.
A "controlling and coercive" man murdered his ex-fiancee after she arranged to celebrate his 60th birthday with him at a luxury hotel, a court has been told.
Samantha Mickleburgh, from Axminster in Devon, was found dead at the Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey, on the morning of April 14 last year.
The 54-year-old mother of two had arranged to stay in a twin room with her ex-fiance James Cartwright the night prior because she "didn't want him to feel lonely" on his birthday, a jury heard on Tuesday.
Cartwright, 61, of no fixed address, is standing trial at Guildford Crown Court accused of raping and murdering Ms Mickleburgh between April 12 and April 14 last year.
He also denies one count of controlling and coercive behaviour between May 1 2022 and April 14 2024.
Prosecutor Louise Oakley, opening the trial, told jurors Ms Mickleburgh had ended her relationship with Cartwright in February 2024.
"She didn't wish him any ill, but she no longer wanted to live with him and no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him," Ms Oakley said.
"But part of her also felt bad for him, believing that he had no one else to spend that day with.
"As a result, she had arranged a celebratory meal and stay at Penny Hill Park and Spa, and in a final act of selflessness, she honoured that commitment despite telling friends and family that the relationship was over."
Cartwright called 999 at about 8.30am on April 14 claiming he had discovered the lifeless body of Ms Mickleburgh lying next to him in bed, jurors were told.
"That was a lie," Ms Oakley said.
"He had most likely killed her in the early hours of the April 14 2024 with his own bare hands applying manual pressure around her neck, extinguishing her life."
A post-mortem examination of Ms Mickleburgh's body revealed evidence of "a significant head injury" as well as fractures to bones in her neck which are consistent with an act of strangulation, jurors were told.
"There were only two people in this room - and she couldn't have and didn't strangle herself," Ms Oakley said.
Ms Mickleburgh and Cartwright attended the hotel's Michelin starred restaurant The Latymer on the evening of April 13 for a six course tasting menu, jurors heard.
But during the course of the meal, Ms Mickleburgh began to feel unwell, with staff noticing that she "looked more and more sleepy and at points her eyes were closed and she looked like she was sleeping," prosecution said.
At around 10.30pm, the pair left the restaurant and were captured on CCTV walking back to the room.
"This is the last time Samantha Mickleburgh was seen alive," Ms Oakley told the court.
In his interview with Surrey Police following his arrest on April 19 last year, Cartwright said Ms Mickleburgh had become unwell during the dinner, but that she "perked up" on the way back to their room.
He then told police they had consensual sex before "falling asleep in each other's arms," prosecution said.
The court heard the relationship between Cartwright and Ms Mickleburgh, which began in the summer 2022, was "somewhat of a whirlwind" and they got engaged in September 2023.
Following their breakup, Cartwright continued to pursue Ms Mickleburgh, attending her address unexpectedly and uninvited, and "bombarding her" with messages and calls, Ms Oakley said.
"She had intended at some point to tell him that this was the last time they would see each other," Ms Oakley said.
"Is this what caused James Cartwright's explosion of violence?
"He had started to lose control of his relationship with Samantha because of his own controlling and coercive ways."
The trial continues.