EXCLUSIVE The loving friendship that turned to murder: Chilling messages between 'gentle giant' lodger and his elderly landlady before he suffocated her with a pillow and chopped up her body

Daily Mail​

30-06-2025

Chilling messages and phone calls between a lodger and his 74-year-old landlady before he murdered her have been revealed today for the first time.
Scott Paterson, 45, suffocated vulnerable Annette Smith with a pillow at their shared home before dismembering her body and hiding her remains in a storage unit.
He tried to cover up her murder and pretended she was still alive by using her email account to send Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to family and friends.
Paterson, of Fairfield, Bedfordshire, used a kitchen knife and saw to cut up her body in November 2023 - and was jailed for at least 19 years in November last year.
Now, Channel 4 's new series of 24 Hours In Police Custody, which airs this Sunday, has revealed their friendly chats - including a text exchange before he moved in.
Paterson wrote: 'Hi Annette would Weds next week be ok to move in? x' Ms Smith replied: 'elo luvly Supa... pls start moving on Wed. Whoopee! A xxx' And Paterson said: 'Thanks Annette, can't wait! Xx'
The programme, which follows the police investigation, also featured recordings of two calls between the pair - with one featuring her arranging dinner for him.
It began with Paterson saying: 'Hello.' Ms Smith then said: 'Hello darling, just to let you know, I've ordered you salmon and pilau rice, so you've got something to eat when you get in.' Paterson replied: 'Brilliant, that's lovely, thank you.' And Ms Smith said: 'I'll see you soon'
A text exchange between lodger Scott Paterson (right) and his 74-year-old landlady Annette Smith (left) before he murdered her was revealed in Channel 4's 24 Hours In Police Custody
The second call saw Ms Smith organise a drink for Paterson because he was tired. It started with Paterson saying: 'Oh hi darling, it's Scott.'
Ms Smith replied: 'Hiya darling, you must be knackered?' Paterson said: 'Yeah.' And Ms Smith told him: 'Would you like me to get you a drink or something?' He replied: 'Yeah that's great, lovely, thank you.'
The documentary also reveals Paterson talking about the loving friendship he had with Ms Smith after reporting her missing - despite having already murdered her.
Paterson claimed to police that Ms Smith had been missing for several weeks and he last saw her being collected from the house by a woman after packing a suitcase.
He also said Ms Smith told her she would be gone for a few days – and the video showed him becoming emotional while telling detectives about their friendship.
Paterson said: 'I'd known Annette for maybe nearly 15 years. She offered me somewhere to stay. Initially it was going to be 12 months and it turned into 12 years.
'We'd get on like a house on fire. We'd go to the theatre, we'd go out for dinner, we'd go on holidays. So we always just got on really well.'
Pictures of Annette Smith also form part of the new programme airing on Channel 4 on Sunday
He then appeared to choke up, with the detective saying: 'We can have a break if you want a break, yeah?' Paterson replied: 'Sorry' – but she said: 'No, no, it's alright.'
Attempting to cover up her murder, Paterson tried to pretend Ms Smith was still alive by sending emails and cards to friends and relatives.
However, in April 2024, concerns were raised by relatives and an investigation was launched by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Major Crime Unit.
Detectives discovered her passport and clothing were still at the home, with her laptop which had sent the Christmas messages.
After being arrested, Paterson was asked whether he was responsible for her murder in a police interview – and simply replied: 'Yes'.
He also directed police to a storage unit where he had hidden her remains –and was later sentenced to life imprisonment at Luton Crown Court.
The court heard that they had met 14 years earlier and Ms Smith had offered him rent-free accommodation in her home after Paterson experienced a 'relationship breakdown'.
In 2018, Ms Smith suffered a stroke which limited her mobility and Paterson took on caring responsibilities, including collecting prescriptions and doing her shopping.
In 2023, her estranged husband Peter Smith, who held a 20 per cent stake in the home, had asked her to sell the property because of his struggling business.
Ms Smith initially did not want to move out, but Paterson claimed he 'felt pressured' to encourage her to go through with a sale.
He also said she had become 'more demanding' since her stroke five years earlier.
Eventually Ms Smith agreed to speak to estate agents, who continued to market the property after her death.
On November 8, 2023, Paterson entered Ms Smith's bedroom and suffocated her with a pillow.
He left her in her bed and drank a bottle of wine before dragging her body into the bathroom and wrapping it in a green blanket.
Prosecutors told the court he had continued to talk to her about 'every day things like normal'.
He moved the body to a cupboard under the stairs after receiving notice that a photographer from the estate agent would be coming to take pictures of the house.
Paterson, who was working on a deli and butcher counter at a farm shop at the time, later dismembered Ms Smith's body with a kitchen knife and saw.
He wrapped parts of her body in plastic bags and hid her torso inside a black suitcase, which he took to the storage unit in Letchworth.
In an effort to pretend she was still alive, Paterson used his victim's email address to send Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to family and friends.
However, in January 2024, Ms Smith's family raised concerns with Bedfordshire Police about her welfare.
Officers initially said there was insufficient evidence to deem Ms Smith a missing person, but in April that year launched a high-risk missing person investigation after her family found her passport, mobile phone and other personal belongings in her home.
When he was arrested, Paterson made a full admission and directed police to a storage unit where he had hidden her remains. He said he had considered killing Ms Smith at least twice before and had only stopped himself when he reached her bedroom door.
He also told officers he had racked up £30,000 in credit card debt and admitted that he had been stealing jewellery from Ms Smith, both while she slept and after her death. He had been selling the jewellery on Cash4Gold, the court heard.
Ms Smith's stepson, Jason Smith, described his stepmother as a 'very kind and caring person' who was 'always there for me throughout the years'.
Paterson, wearing a blue polo shirt and grey trousers, bowed his head and kept his eyes closed as Mr Smith spoke in court.
He told the courtroom he had initially believed the defendant, described by other witnesses as a 'gentle giant', was a 'nice guy', but that in reality he was an 'evil man'.
He added: 'I will never forgive (him) for what he did, I hate him from the bottom of my heart.'
A tribute from Ms Smith's family read: 'We are totally heartbroken and devastated that Annette has been taken away from us in such a cruel and senseless way.
'She was a beautiful, caring, trusting and generous lady, who meant so much to so many people. Annette, rest in peace with those who will love and take care of you.'
Buckinghamshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias, who led the investigation, said of the documentary: 'This two-part episode captures the meticulous work of our detectives as we pieced together CCTV footage, forensic evidence, digital footprints and witness statements to uncover the truth about what happened to Annette.
'In the show, our care for Annette as a victim is evident, and the team really do stop at nothing to ensure that we seek answers on behalf of her and her family.
'This was a case which shook the community of Stotfold and Bedfordshire more widely.
'It also highlights some of the most complex aspects of modern-day policing and showcases the professionalism of our officers in the face of the most horrific of crimes.'
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst added: 'As always, 24 Hours in Police Custody offers an unfiltered look at the police service, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and resilience of officers who are often working under intense pressure, on some of the most traumatic incidents most people could ever imagine.'
24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher Of Suburbia starts this Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4, and concludes the following evening, Monday, at 9pm on Channel 4