Teenager Becky Watts was murdered and dismembered by her step-brother and his girlfriend in a “sexually motivated attack”, a jury heard.
Nathan Matthews, 28, and Shauna Hoare, 21, are said to have used a circular saw to mutilate Becky’s body after they killed her.
In court, Becky’s family were distraught as graphic details about her body were read out. At certain points, her mother had to leave the courtroom – unable to listen to the horrific details of the trial which started today.
Members of jury were told that after being killed, Becky’s remains were cut up. She had 15 stab wombs to her abdomen, which were inflicted after her death, and her dismembered remains were found in a garden shed.
Matthews was arrested after Becky’s blood and his fingerprints were found on her bedroom doorframe. He told police he decided to kidnap Becky to “teach her a lesson” because of how she treated his mother. However, he said that during the kidnap attempt, his mask slipped and he strangled Becky. Matthews claims that Hoare knew nothing of the killing and was not involved in the dismembering of the body or hiding of the remains.
But, the prosecution claim they both wanted to kidnap Becky for sexual reasons and allege they tried to hide her body together.
William Mousley QC opened the case for the prosecution and told the jury how Matthews and Hoare had an interest in teenage girls. He said in a series of messages were exchanged where they had discussed kidnapping a teenage girl.
On the day of her murder, Becky sent her last text message – to her boyfriend – at 11:03am while later that evening, CCTV footage shows Matthews and Hoare driving, with a child in a car, towards home before settling down to order a takeaway.
“All apparently normal behaviour, other than the fact they had a dead body on their hands,” the prosecutor told the court.
The following day a huge manhunt was launched and, as the search for Becky started, Matthews visited a B&Q where he bought goggles, face masks, gloves and a circular saw. In the evening, a phone connected to both Matthews and Hoare made an internet search that said: “Do you want to hide a body?” Over the next couple of days the couple bought bleach, rubble sacks and clingfilm.
Matthews denies conspiracy to kidnap and murder, while Hoare denies conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and possessing a prohibited weapon, and murder.
The prosecution also allege that four others helped Matthews and Hoare hide Becky’s body parts. Karl Demetrius, 29, and his girlfriend Jaydene Parsons, 23, have admitted assisting an offender. James Ireland, 23, and Donovan Demetrius, 29, deny the charge.
The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, continues.