Man who dismembered wife’s body into 200 pieces sentenced to life in prison

A man, Nicholas Metson, 28, who dismembered his wife’s body into over 200 pieces and then enlisted a friend to help dispose of her remains in a river, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.

Metson fatally stabbed Holly Bramley, 26, at least four times in March 2023 before dismembering her and storing her body parts for a week in the kitchen larder at their shared flat in Shuttleworth House, Stamp End, Lincoln.

According to foreign news platform Independent.co on Monday, Metson admitted to the murder and was sentenced to a minimum term of 19 years and 316 days at Lincoln Crown Court. His friend, Joshua Hancock, who aided in disposing of Bramley’s remains, received a three-year and three-month prison sentence, along with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing Metson, His Honour Judge Simon Hirst of Shuttleworth House, Lincoln, said, “The cause of death cannot be established given how you treated Holly’s body after you killed her.”

Bramley’s remains were found by an individual who, initially mistook them for animal remains, before discovering human hand in the river on the evening of March 25th more than a week after Ms. Bramley was last seen entering her flat on March 17th.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that some of Holly Bramley’s remains, including parts of her heart, were never recovered.

Initially, Nicholas Metson denied the charges of murder. However, he later changed his plea to guilty before the trial commenced.

Before Bramley’s remains were discovered and during her period of absence, Lincolnshire Police visited the flat she shared with Metson.

At that time, Metson informed the authorities that his wife had departed their residence on March 19th in the company of two individuals from a local mental health crisis team.

Upon entering the flat, officers detected a “strong smell of bleach and ammonia” They also spotted a saw resting on a towel, bloodstained sheets within the bathroom, and a large bloodstain on the bedroom floor.

Following the revelation that Metson’s account regarding his wife’s disappearance was deceitful, law enforcement arrested Metson and charged him with murder and perverting the course of justice.

A thorough examination of Metson’s mobile phone revealed Google searches, including inquiries such as “How to get rid of a dead body”, “What benefits can I get if my wife dies” and “Does God forgive murder”.

Metson had also sent a message to Hancock, residing at Walnut Close in Waddington, during the early hours of March 25th, offering him £50 in exchange for Hancock’s assistance with an unspecified “job.”