A TEENAGE girl was murdered in a sexually motivated attack before her body was cut up with a knife and power tools, a court heard.
Becky Watts, 16, was allegedly suffocated in her bedroom by her step-brother Nathan Matthews, 28, and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare, 21.
Bristol crown court heard the pair “shared an unnatural interest in attractive teenage females”.
Becky’s mother, left the court in tears at one point as details of the case were being outlined.
William Mousley QC said Becky “fought for her life” during the alleged attack on February 19, this year.
She was then chopped into pieces and packaged in a “deliberate, carefully planned, and grotesquely executed plan to cover up her killing”, a jury was told.
Mr Mousley, prosecuting, added: “Following her removal from her home, over the course of the next few days, her body was cut up with a knife and a power saw, the parts carefully packaged and then moved to another address.
“Her death was the result of a plan by Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare to kidnap Rebecca Watts where it seems that items were taken to Rebecca Watts’s home to carry it out.
“In addition to their apparent dislike of Rebecca Watts, there is good reason to believe that there was also a sexual motive behind the scheme.”
He added that Matthews and Hoare “shared an unnatural interest in attractive teenage females”.
Becky's uncle and aunt
Mr Mousley went on: “The police investigation led to the discovery of evidence which suggested that there was a sexual motive behind the intended kidnap/imprisonment.
“Evidence was found on telephones, computers and computer-related equipment connected to both Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare which showed a shared sexual interest in teenage and petite girls.
“Also found at their home were two stun guns, which were prohibited weapons and which may have been intended for the use in the planned kidnap.
“They were ordered in the name of Shauna Phillips, as Hoare had once been known, in January 2015.”
The court heard that, on the morning of Becky’s death, Matthews and Hoare drove to Crown Hill, stopping off at a Tesco Express to buy some batteries, which Mr Mousley suggested were for the stun gun.
Becky died at some point between 11am and the early afternoon and her body was put in the boot of Matthews’ Vauxhall Zafira car before Anjie Galsworthy returned home from a hospital appointment.
Mr Mousley said CCTV footage showed Matthews and Hoare driving home to Cotton Mill Lane shortly before 7pm, with a child captured on camera sitting in the rear of the car.
They then ordered a Chinese takeaway from Laws Kitchen - where Matthews worked - before settling down to watch the television for the night.
“All normal behaviour, other than they had a dead body on their hands,” Mr Mousley said.
Mr Mousley said that, the following day, Matthews drove to Rajani Superstores in Bristol and purchased two bottles of one-shot drain cleaner before heading to a B&Q store in Horfield.
He arrived there at 12.45pm and was captured on CCTV buying a circular power saw, gloves, a face mask and goggles.
“When he was there buying the saw he queried the price he was being charged for it as it didn’t correspond with the price on the display,” Mr Mousley said.
“He made it plain that he needed that saw and he needed to have it that day. The prosecution say it became clear as the police investigation continued that all those items bought at B&Q were needed to be used in the dismemberment of Becky Watts’ body.”
Becky vanished from her home, where she lived with her father, Darren Galsworthy, and stepmother Anjie, in Crown Hill, Bristol. She was later reported missing by her father.
Police launched a huge search, which led to her body parts being discovered in the garden shed of a house in Barton Hill, Bristol, on March 2.
Becky's funeral service card
A couple who had Becky’s dismembered body stored in their garden shed have pleaded guilty to assisting an offender, it can be reported for the first time.
Karl Demetrius, 29, and his girlfriend, Jaydene Parsons, 23, admitted at an earlier hearing at Bristol Crown Court to a charge of assisting an offender.
However, they maintain they “did not know or believe” the bags contained Becky’s body.
Donovan Demetrius, 29 - Karl’s twin brother - and James Ireland, 23, are charged with assisting an offender.
The court hear that Matthews admits killing Becky, but that he and Hoare deny murder.
The trial, at Bristol Crown Court, continues.
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