In a tragic incident, 26-year-old Holly Bramley's body parts were recovered from River Witham in March 2023. Though her husband Nicholas Metson initially denied it, he later admitted to the killing in court.
As the Lincoln Crown Court in the United Kingdom gears up to pronounce the sentence on Monday, a look at how the horrific crime came to light.
‘Evil monster’
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, the court heard that an "evil monster" stabbed his wife to death and then cut her body over 200 pieces before dumping her remains into the river.
Metson, 28, from Shuttleworth House in Lincoln married Bramley in 2021. According to the victim's mother and siblings, she was subjected to "coercive control and manipulation" by the "evil monster". Their marriage was strained and were on the verge of separation when the murder took place.
Out of concern for Bramley's welfare, Lincolnshire Police was called to the couple's flat on March 24 last year. Officials, who visited the home the following day, noticed a strong smell of ammonia and bleach. Bloodstained sheets in the bathtub and a towel on the kitchen floor were also found.
Nicholas Metson | X
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC told the court that there was evidence of recent decoration and cleaning. He also added that police spotted several large dark stains on the floor in the main room, which were later found out to be his wife's.
Meanwhile, on the contrary, Metson told the police that his wife was abusive to him. Bite marks on his forearm were shown to the officers. He later informed that she had left home with a local mental health support group on March 19.
Police officials later found out that Metson was lying about her whereabouts. The following day, a walker had noticed plastic bags floating in the River Witham at Bassingham and a human hand was found in it.
Divers had recovered 224 remains of Bramley's body.
Tactfully planned
Bramley was stabbed multiple times in the bedroom before being moved to the bathroom, where she was dismembered. Her remains were stored in a kitchen larder, the prosecutor said.
After the murder, Metson withdrew £50 from her bank account and searched on the internet with questions such as "What benefits do I get if my wife has died" and "Can someone haunt me after they die".
The CCTV footage played in the court showed Bramley last seen alive returning to the flat on March 17. Further, the footage showed Metson wearing a rucksack and using the flat's lift to move bags from the 14th floor to the ground floor on March 25.
Holly's mother Annette Bramley, addressed Metson directly in the court and told him he had condemned her family "to a life sentence of grief".
"The heinous way in which she was murdered and dismembered has left us in such unimaginable pain," she was quoted by BBC.
The court heard Metson had previous convictions for offences against former partners in 2013, 2016 and 2017.
He originally denied murder but later pleaded guilty when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court last month.
Metson's friend, Josua Hancock, in exchange for money, helped him to dispose of her body. He also pleaded guilty to the act.
