- Shakira Spencer brutally murdered
- Three receive life sentences
- Victim suffered months of abuse
Neighbours discovered the severely decomposed body of Shakira Spencer after spotting maggots emanating from her West London flat. Months of “dehumanising and degrading” abuse and torment culminated in her demise.
In order to murder a defenceless woman whom they “treated like a slave” through starvation, torture, and abuse, three individuals have been incarcerated.
For the murder of Shakira Spencer and the obstruction of her lawful burial, Ashana Studholme, 39, her lover Shaun Pendlebury, 26, and their associate Lisa Richardson, 45, were each given life sentences with a minimum term of 34 years.
In December, all three were convicted of the homicide of the 35-year-old victim.
They subjected Ms Spencer to torment and physical harm, including scalding her feet and feeding her ketchup from sachets.
Her severely decomposed body was discovered in September 2022 in Ealing, West London, after maggots were spotted emanating from her flat by nearby residents.
The group subjected the mother of two, who was under the influence of her erstwhile neighbour Studholme, to “dehumanising and degrading” treatment.
Ms Spencer was submitted to the “complete control” of the perpetrators, who were based in West London, according to the testimony presented in court.
For months, she was allegedly sequestered, prostituted, and deprived of her finances and self-respect, the jury was informed.
Shortly before her demise, she dropped from a “beautiful, happy, and healthy” size 16 to a “gaunt and skeletal” size 6.
An “orgy of violence”
On Friday, Judge Angela Rafferty KC sentenced the trio, stating that none of them accepted culpability for Ms Spencer’s death and continued to place the blame on one another.
Ms Rafferty stated, “You, Pendlebury, resided in her flat while she slept in a bike shed; you, Studholme, were once a friend but turned out to be the worst kind of enemy a person could have; and you, Richardson, treated Shakira with nothing but extreme contempt and hostility.”
She further elaborated, “This homicide is characterised by extreme, calculated, brutal violence and torture,” characterising the ordeal that befell Ms Spencer as an “orgy of violence.”
“Without a doubt, I have your intentions set on eliminating Shakira. Ms Rafferty stated, “This was a sadistic campaign in which you all delighted in causing a vulnerable woman pain and suffering.”
An impact statement read to the court by the unidentified son of Ms Spencer, for reasons of confidentiality, stated: “The events that transpired since her death have caused me to endure daily anxiety and nightmares. “The horrifying image of my mother appearing emaciated and malnourished will not leave my mind.”
“What motivated their [the defendants’] heartlessness? What might motivate them to subject another human being to torture?
I sincerely pray they experience daily remorse for the decisions they have made.
His mother was labelled “the best” by him.
He stated, “She was not flawless, but she brought joy, security, and affection to me; I miss her daily and yearn for another opportunity to speak with and behold her.”
This trait rendered Ms Spencer susceptible, despite the fact that her mother, Merjia Spencer, characterised her as a “caring and sweet-natured person” who was eager to please others.
“Beating on the verge of death”
The three defendants were apprehended several hours subsequent to the revelation of Ms Spencer’s remains.
Upon confiscation of their mobile devices, hundreds of messages containing references to the mistreatment inflicted upon Ms Spencer were discovered.
Richardson and Studholme exchanged mocking images of Ms Spencer, and it was also discovered that videos depicted Ms Spencer being beaten while the others chuckled and jeered.
The abuse culminated in a “frenzied climax” at Studholme’s residence in September 2022, when Ms Spencer was beaten “to the brink of death.”
After being bundled into the trunk of a borrowed vehicle, she was returned to her apartment, where she was secured in a hallway cabinet.
In an endeavour to conceal the truth, newspapers were judiciously placed adjacent to Ms Spencer’s bed on the floor, creating the illusion that she had fallen asleep while reading and perished.
Additionally, the defendants purified their residences of the victim’s blood, bodily secretions, and DNA, and eradicated any indications of their existence from Ms Spencer’s flat.
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Horrific Abuse Leads to Justice
“For whatever incomprehensible, cruel, sadistic motive they had, these three defendants tormented, tortured, starved, burned, and ultimately battered Shakira Spencer to death,” prosecutor Allison Hunter KC stated during the trial.
The jury deliberated for approximately 18 hours before reaching a verdict in December. As a result of the “harrowing nature” of Ms Spencer’s case, the judge absolved the jurors from any future jury duty indefinitely.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, senior investigating officer, had previously stated: “Shakira was an attractive, contented mother who possessed a disposition of benevolence and confidence.
These defendants took advantage of Shakira’s vulnerability by isolating and controlling her from everyone she knew in an effort to enslave and subjugate her in the most abhorrent and dehumanising manner possible.
