In a busy August for the county’s courts, here are five Hertfordshire criminals who have been convicted this month, including a man who pleaded guilty to murdering and dismembering his landlady.
1. Scott Paterson
A man who murdered and dismembered his landlady in Stotfold, before hiding her remains in a Letchworth storage unit, has pleaded guilty to his "horrific crime".
Scott Paterson, 45, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the murder of Annette Smith at Luton Crown Court on September 9, during a pre-trial preparation hearing.
Paterson killed her in the home they shared in Fairfield, Stotfold, in November last year and hid her remains in a Letchworth storage unit.
READ MORE: Man pleads guilty to murdering and dismembering landlady
He then used her email account to send Christmas messages and Moonpig cards to family and friends in an effort to convince them she was still alive.
He even reported to police that she had left their home with an unknown woman to cover his tracks, but in April, concerns were raised by relatives and an investigation was launched by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
Detectives discovered her passport and clothing were still at the home along with her laptop, which had been used to send the Christmas messages.
When he was arrested, Paterson made a full admission and directed police to a storage unit where he had hidden her remains.
Paterson will be sentenced next month.
2. Dawn MacCormack
A prison officer at HMP The Mount who had an intimate relationship with a prisoner will face more than two years in jail.
Dawn MacCormack was sentenced to 26 months behind bars on September 13, after being convicted of misconduct in public office after a nine-day trail at St Albans Crown Court in July.
The 42-year-old had begun an inappropriate relationship with Josh Moore in January 2019 before detectives discovered the inmate had two phones that had been smuggled into the prison, which he and MacCormack used to share 4,500 texts and calls between May 15 and June 20, 2019.
MacCormack, of Organ Hall Road, Borehamwood, admitted to two counts of exchanging messages during the trial and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be served concurrently.
Giving evidence, MacCormack had told defence barrister Abigail Bright that she was in a state of extreme distress at the time, as her mother was dying of pancreatic cancer, and her marriage to her husband had come to an end after 15 years, although they were still living in the same house with their children.
She said that she was dismissed from her previous receptionist job in 2016 after bosses accused her of bringing her mental health problems to work.
MacCormack applied to join the prison service online after seeing an advert, and after starting in April 2018, she underwent 300 hours of training, including gaining an exam score of 45 out of 50.
She also stated that she had depression at various stages and had "brain fog" about much of her contact with Moore.
3. Macauley Anderson and Samad Ali
Two men have been jailed for more than nine years after kidnapping a man in Hertfordshire.
Macauley Anderson, 29, of Plover Road, Leighton Buzzard, and Samad Ali, 26, of Eastchurch, Kent, were sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on September 23 for their involvement in the kidnapping and assault of a man in his 20s.
The incident happened at around 12.05pm on October 3, 2019, when the victim was bundled into the back of a car on Colney Street, St Albans.
He was then assaulted before managing to flee the area and hide in a front garden of a nearby property. The victim and suspects were known to each other.
The incident was believed to be linked to a reported aggravated burglary a couple of days previously.
After an investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, five people were charged in 2021.
Following a six-week trial at St Albans Crown Court in April, the jury came back with a majority verdict.
4. Gavin Elley
A paedophile from Letchworth has been sentenced to four years in jail after being found guilty of two sex offences involving a child.
Gavin Elley, 37, appeared at Hendon Magistrates court earlier on September 4, and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register as well as given a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
Elley was convicted of two sexual offences involving a child during a a four-day trial in June, having been arrested in 2022 while waiting to meet up with a 13-year-old girl in the car park at Cockfosters tube station.
READ MORE: Letchworth paedophile sentenced to four years in prison
5. Antonio Bilea and Xhuliano Frroku
A pair of serial burglars have been jailed for four and a half years after homes in Hertfordshire were among a dozen targeted in a crime spree spanning three counties.
Properties in Rickmansworth and Kings Langley were among 12 targeted between February 13 and April 11, alongside eight more in Hemel Hempstead and Brookmans Park.
On April 11, Herts police officers were alerted that a Volvo XC60 which had been linked to break-ins in the county had been spotted on the M25.
The car failed to stop for officers and was only halted by a tactical stop, after which both occupants tried to flee on foot before being caught, arrested and subsequently charged.
A search of the Volvo also uncovered incriminating evidence such as stolen jewellery hidden in a white pillow case.
The pair both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle 12 homes and were sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Monday, September 9.
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