Emily Sanderson murder: Moment Sheffield woman was bludgeoned to death recorded on phone call to taxi firm
The man who bludgeoned a Sheffield woman to death with a dumbbell and left her body in a Hillsborough house for 11 days has been jailed for life.
Mum-of-three Emily Sanderson, aged 50, was described by her loved ones as "the heart of our family" and an "incredible person" with many friends, cherished relationships and lots to give.
Mum-of-three Emily Sanderson, aged 50, was described by her loved ones as "the heart of our family" and an "incredible person" with many friends, cherished relationships and lots to give.
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00:00 Good afternoon, this is Arthur from the Sheffield Star. I'm coming to you today with a video of what happened today at Sheffield Crown Court,
00:06 where today we saw the sentencing of Mark Nichols, age 43, who was sent to prison for life for the murder of Emily Sanderson.
00:13 Emily was described as an incredible person, indeed the beating heart of her family, which has now been ripped away.
00:19 But today, the same loved ones had to listen to the very moment Emily's life came to an end,
00:25 in a powering piece of audio that was played at Sheffield Crown Court.
00:28 Emily, who on occasion took work as an escort, was visiting the house of Mark Nichols, that's her killer,
00:35 on the evening of May 19 at his house on Crofton Avenue this year.
00:40 Around 8.45pm she rang a taxi firm in the city to book a ride to Glendale to get away from the house,
00:47 and indeed the phone call was recorded and then played to court in full.
00:51 In a truly upsetting piece of audio, it was then that Mark Nichols' voice cut in, accusing Emily of stealing from him,
00:58 and an altercation could be heard, which is when four hard, loud thuds played over the audio,
01:06 and then the phone call came to an end.
01:08 This, in fact, was the moment Emily was bludgeoned to death by Mark Nichols with a dumbbell,
01:14 and her life was taken from her, which is something her loved ones had to listen to in court today.
01:19 In preceding days, Mark Nichols, that would be from between May 19 to May 30,
01:24 I don't know if you've got it, but it was assumed that Mark Nichols did try to cover up his gruesome crime.
01:28 Indeed, there seemed to be evidence that he was planning to dig a hole in the back garden and try and bury her there.
01:35 They even saw him digging a hole one afternoon, and he said that he was working to cover up the pool or fill in a pond that was there.
01:42 By May 30, he did turn himself in after encountering his parents, where he told them part of the crime he had committed
01:52 and part of the mess to what he had done. Later, he did indeed plead guilty to murder.
01:58 Meanwhile, Emily's body was left in the house on Crofton Avenue for 11 days before it was found by police,
02:04 and only when they forced entry.
02:06 At Sheffield Crown Court today, Mark Nichols was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years and six months.
02:12 In the words of Judge Jeremy Richardson, his final words as he was sent down was, "It was a truly wicked act."
02:21 He let that ring clear in the court.
02:23 Emily's family were in court today. They were wearing T-shirts with Emily's face on it and blazoned with "Emily, one in a million" on them as well.
02:31 A victim impact statement from Emily's mother, Christine, was read out in court by the prosecutor, in which Christine said,
02:38 "Emily was an incredible person. She was deeply and dearly loved by me, her children, her siblings, her family, and her many, many friends.
02:47 She was the heart of her family, and that heart has been ripped out."