A man who raped and strangled his former fiancee to death at his 60th birthday dinner at a luxury hotel in Surrey last year has been jailed for life.
James Cartwright, 61, was found guilty of the rape and murder of Samantha Mickleburgh, 54, by a jury last month. He had attacked his former partner at the hotel after Mickleburgh conceded to attending a birthday meetup as a gesture of kindness, prosecutors said. They said he then launched a “vicious and murderous attack” and tried to cover up the killing, telling police Mickleburgh had died after falling out of bed.
Cartwright had maintained his innocence throughout the trial and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was found not guilty of the charge of controlling or coercive behaviour and will serve a minimum 28-year sentence.
During the month-long trial, the Guildford crown court heard how Mickleburgh, from Axminster in Devon, had been an “incredible mother” and successful businesswoman.
She had agreed to attend the birthday dinner with Cartwright because she thought he had no one else to celebrate with. Honouring her prior commitment, she had organised a room with separate twin beds, and a six-course dinner at the five-star Pennyhill Park hotel in Bagshot.
But the court heard that after the second course, Mickleburgh became unwell, with restaurant staff saying she struggled to stand when Cartwright walked her out. Upon return to their room, Cartwright raped and strangled her, causing a skull fracture. He called an ambulance the following morning, claiming he had found her dead in bed next to him.
The court heard he had also placed an engagement ring on Mickleburgh’s finger to make it appear as if they had rekindled their romance, and that he had staged the room to make it appear as if they had engaged in consensual sex.
Justice Murray in handing down his sentence on Friday said Mickleburgh’s family had described her as “caring, thoughtful, fun, well-organised, generous to a fault and devoted to her family”. They had suffered grief that lay “beyond words to fully describe”.
The court had earlier heard from her family who described him as an “evil, controlling, manipulative predator” who thought he would get away with the murder.
One of her sisters, Tracey Carter, spoke of an “indescribable amount of pain and suffering” after recalling how the family had welcomed Cartwright into their “homes and hearts”.
“I wish she had never met you. Did you feel proud of yourself when you lied to my father, saying that Sam had died in her sleep, knowing full well the horror that you had put her through?” Carter said in her victim impact statement.
The jury handed down a unanimous verdict of guilt on charges of murder and rape.
Prosecutors had argued that his behaviour towards Mickleburgh had been “cruel, repressive and overbearing” and that he had a history of such behaviour in his previous relationships.
Moses Koroma, prosecuting, said the jury had seen “straight through Cartwright’s claims that this had all resulted from her falling out of bed”.
