Who is Scott Paterson and how did he murder his landlady Annette Smith?
SCOTT Paterson murdered and dismembered his landlady in the home they shared before hiding her remains in a storage unit for months on end.
The callous killer went to great lengths to hide his crime, even sending Christmas cards to her family to put them off the scent.
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Who is Scott Paterson?
Scott Paterson, 45, was a tenant living with his 74-year-old landlady, Annette Smith, in Fairfield Park near Stotfold, Bedfordshire.
They had known each other for many years and, after Annette suffered a stroke, he took on the role of her carer.
However, on November 8, 2023, Paterson suffocated Annette with a pillow while she was sleeping.
He later said the pressures of caregiving had caused him to "snap".
Concealing the crime
Following the murder, Paterson went to great lengths to conceal his crime.
He dismembered Annette's body using a saw and kitchen knife — he previously worked as a butcher.
Paterson initially hid her remains under the stairs, before moving them to a storage unit in Letchworth, Hertfordshire — about three miles from their home.
To mask her disappearance, Paterson hacked into Annette's email account and sent Christmas cards and emails to her friends and family, pretending she was still alive.
Suspicious relatives
This deception lasted for months — until relatives grew suspicious and alerted the police.
When first questioned by police, he falsely claimed that Annette had left the house voluntarily with an unknown woman.
However, investigators found her passport, clothing, mobile phone and laptop still at the home, and there had been no activity on her bank account, all of which contradicted his story.
Detectives found CCTV footage and records proving Paterson also stole Annette's jewellery and other belongings, which he sold for more than £5,000.
Confession
On April 30, 2024, Paterson was arrested and confessed to the murder shortly afterwards, before leading police to the storage unit where he concealed the dismembered body.
Speaking after Paterson's guilty plea, Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias of Bedfordshire Police said: 'Annette's death is tragic and deeply saddening. Our thoughts remain with her loved ones.
"Paterson's actions to conceal his horrific crime and later mislead Annette's family and friends with a false sense of assurance, reveals the nature of a very cold and calculated individual who has no place in our community.
"Uncovering Annette's death has required the finest level of police work, and I would like to commend the Major Crime Unit and supporting teams on their meticulous efforts over the last five months.
"Our hope is that this swift progression towards justice, provides some level of comfort to those affected by Annette's death."
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During sentencing at Luton Crown Court on November 4, 2024, Judge Justice Murray described Paterson's actions as 'awful' and 'callous'.
He added: "You told her friends and family an elaborate lie.
"Because of your lies, the police concluded there was no evidence at that time to say she was genuinely missing."
In a victim impact statement, Annette's stepson Jason Smith said his stepmother "was very vulnerable due to her mobility issues."
He added: "I considered Annette as my mother and I loved her dearly.
"She was one of the kindest and most caring people; I can't understand why anyone would want to harm her.
"I have to try very hard not to think about what he did to her.
"He seemed a nice friendly guy, but he was a murderer. I'll never forgive him."
Paterson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia
C4's true crime series 24 Hours in Police Custody is returning with the sickening story of the murder of Annette Smith titled The Butcher of Suburbia.
It traces Paterson's macabre efforts to conceal her death, plus the inside story of how he was caught.
The documentary airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at 9 pm.
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