Becky Watts murder trial: Stepbrother accused of killing teen and then cutting her into pieces

WARNING: Graphic. Becky Watts was the victim of a heinous crime. What allegedly took place afterwards was even worse.

Teenage girl’s gruesome murder

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

BECKY Watts was cut into pieces with a power saw and knives and then her body parts wrapped in “metres and metres” of cling-film, a British court has heard.

The 16-year-old was allegedly attacked by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 28, and Shauna Hoare, 21 — who prosecutor William Mousley QC said shared an “unnatural” interest in petite and attractive girls, the Telegraphreported.

The teen had been in a onesie in her bedroom in Bristol, and had “fought for her life” when she was attacked on February 19.

Once she was dead, she was taken to the nearby home Matthews and Hoare shared where they began a “deliberate, and grotesquely executed plan to cover up her killing,” Mr Mousley told the jury.

The following day Matthews was captured on CCTV in a store buying two bottles of drain cleaner and then going to a DIY store where he purchased a circular power saw, gloves, face masks and goggles.

Mr Mousley said once she had been dismembered the body parts were packaged in “metres and metres” of cling-wrap.

“They knew that the police would most likely be coming ... the next morning”, and the prosecution say steps “had to be taken to have Becky Watts’ body parts removed.”

The court heard Matthews and Hoare were assisted by four others in moving Becky’s body.

Karl Demetrius, his twin brother Donovan, both 29, Karl’s girlfriend Jaydene Parsons and work colleague James Ireland, both 23, are charged with assisting an offender.

The court heard that Becky had been stabbed 15 times in the abdomen.

Becky Watts.

Karl Demetrius and Parsons have both pleaded guilty to their part in concealing Becky’s body parts, but Donovan Demetrius and Ireland deny the charges.

Her body was found by police in a nearby garden shed on March 2 this year, 11 days after she was killed.

“In addition to their apparent dislike of Becky, there is good reason to believe there was also a sexual motive behind the scheme, arising from a shared unnatural interest in attractive teenage females, and that a foreseeable conclusion to it being carried out would either be Becky’s death or serious injury,” Mr Mousley said.

The Guardianreported Matthews told police after his arrest that he came up with the idea of kidnapping Becky to “teach her a lesson” because he believed she was “selfish” and treated his mother badly.

He claimed he struggled with the girl in her bedroom and so he strangled her. He insisted Hoare knew nothing of the killing and was not involved in cutting up her body or hiding the remains.

But the Crown has rejected he acted alone and has dismissed his claims that she was killed through strangulation.

Accused murderers Nathan Matthews and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare.

Instead, she had various injuries that “were consistent with a hand being held over the mouth, causing suffocation” and also suggested “a violent struggle”, the BBC reported.

The prosecutor said DNA associated with Hoare had been found on the inside of a safety mask and on the inside of a knot in a bag used to wrap up Becky’s remains.

In addition, evidence had been recovered from phones and computers connected to both Matthews and Shauna Hoare that showed a “shared sexual interest in teenage and petite girls.”

The courtroom was packed with friends and family of both the accused and the victim. There was a loud gasp from the public gallery when post-mortem results were revealed that showed Ms Watts had been stabbed 15 times in the abdomen and also suffered slashes to her stomach.

The news was too much for Tanya Watts, Becky’s mother, who ran from the courtroom in tears.

Matthews and Hoare are jointly charged with conspiracy to kidnap, murder, perverting the course of justice, preventing Becky’s lawful burial and possessing a stun gun, a prohibited weapon.

Hoare denies all the charges. Matthews denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Becky Watts murder trial: Stepbrother accused of killing teen and then cutting her into pieces