Killer admits in interview footage he 'snapped' and suffocated landlady then dismembered her body

• Scott Paterson describes the moment he "snapped" and killed Annette Smith in her bed

The moment an "abhorrent and deceptive" killer confessed to murdering his landlady, dismembering her body and trying to hide her in a storage locker has been revealed in interview-room footage released by police.

Scott Paterson calmly tells detectives how he suffocated Annette Smith with a pillow as she slept, before trying to hide her remains what he had done because "I thought if there wasn't a body I would get away with it."

Paterson, 45, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years on Monday after admitting to the murder of the 74-year-old in Stotfold in Bedfordshire in November last year.

He told detectives that the demands of caring for her as she recovered from a stroke meant he "snapped" on 8 November, though he had been thinking about killing her for several weeks.

After her murder, he dismembered her body and hid the remains at a storage unit in Letchworth.

He then posed as her, sending emails, gifts and even cards through Moonpig to her family and friends to cover his tracks and convince relatives she was still alive.

Her family became concerned and called police, leading to an investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit in April.

Paterson initially told police that Ms Smith had left home with an unknown woman of her own accord.

But detectives discovered there had been no activity on her bank account and her passport and clothing were still at home, along with her laptop.

They also found CCTV and records which showed Paterson had sold her jewellery and other belongings for more than £5,000.

Judge Justice Murray said: “You had been contemplating killing Annette Smith before you had finally killed her.

“This shows you had been thinking about and planning her death for some time. After you killed Annette Smith, you told elaborate lies.”

Det Ch Insp Katie Dounias, who led the investigation, said: “While in a position of trust, Paterson cruelly took advantage of Annette’s vulnerabilities which culminated in him not only ending her life, but taking abhorrent and deceptive steps to conceal his crimes. This was compounded by his efforts to make a financial gain by selling Annette’s belongings.

“There is nothing that will ease the impact this will have had on those that knew Annette, but the hope is that today’s sentencing provides some solace to her family and friends and puts an end to what has no doubt been a horrific ordeal for her loved ones.”

A tribute written by Annette’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.”

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