Scott Paterson’s calm police confession stuns UK audiences as documentary airs gruesome details
Scott Paterson, 45, lived in the home of Annette Smith for over ten years before he took her life on the night of 8 November 2023. According to his confession, Paterson “snapped” after growing resentful of having to care for her during her recovery from a stroke.
He suffocated Smith while she slept, then went to great lengths to cover up the crime. Paterson later dismembered her body, hiding some of her remains in a rented storage unit and discarding the rest in public bins across the city.
The shocking case is now the subject of The Butcher of Suburbia, a newly released episode of the long-running British crime documentary series 24 Hours in Police Custody. The show, which airs in the UK and in Australia via 7+, follows real investigations from Luton Police Station, located just over 30 miles from Central London.
While the series has featured a wide range of criminal cases, this episode stands out for its disturbing content and the unnerving calmness displayed by the suspect. In the footage, filmed inside a police interrogation room, Paterson details the brutal killing with chilling composure, visibly unsettling detectives and viewers alike.
During questioning, he told officers he murdered Smith—described by friends as a kind and selfless woman who had taken him in out of generosity. When asked about the whereabouts of her body, Paterson described how he disposed of her remains, showing no visible remorse.
“Where’s Annette,” a female officer asked, to which he coldly replies, “there isn’t a full body”.
“I did keep her in the house for quite some time, but as time went by, I realized she couldn’t stay in the house.
“I wasn’t sure what to do, so I did dismember her.”
At first, Paterson hid Annette Smith’s remains beneath the stairs inside the home they shared. Later, he transported them to a storage facility located approximately three miles away.
Wearing a blue checkered shirt and a black baseball cap during his police interview, Paterson went on to describe the gruesome act in unsettling detail. His calm and methodical explanation left detectives visibly disturbed, with parts of his confession deemed too graphic to release publicly.
“It was a gradual process, I couldn’t face doing something like that in one go,” the murderer explained, before stating he first chopped up Smith’s feet with a saw and a knife.
“I work in a butchers, so I see how they deal with things like that, but I obviously watch quite a lot of horror films and stuff so it has probably stemmed from there as well.”
According to the BBC, Paterson had previously worked at a local farm shop and had completed a butchery course, knowledge he would later put to disturbing use. After suffocating Smith, the 45-year-old said it took him “a few weeks” to fully dismember her body. He placed her remains in multiple plastic bags, admitting that the process made him physically ill. He eventually discarded the body in ten separate pieces, distributing them gradually in public bins around the city, including those outside supermarkets.
In an attempt to conceal the murder, Paterson accessed Smith’s email account and impersonated her by sending festive messages and updates to family and friends. He even mailed out Christmas cards, pretending she was still alive. The ruse lasted several months until relatives grew suspicious. One family member noticed the sign-off in an email featured “too many kisses,” something Annette would not have written, and alerted police.
Initially, Paterson falsely claimed that Smith had left the house with an unidentified woman. However, police discovered her passport, clothing, mobile phone, and laptop still inside the home. Investigators also noted that there had been no activity on her bank accounts, undermining his story.
Evidence soon mounted against Paterson. CCTV footage and transaction records showed he had stolen and sold Smith’s jewellery and belongings, making over £5,000 from the items, according to The Sun. It was later revealed that Paterson was in significant debt, owing more than £31,000 at the time of the crime.
Police arrested him on 30 April 2024. During questioning, Paterson confessed to the murder and the elaborate cover-up that followed.
During the sentencing at Luton Crown Court, the court heard that Paterson and Smith had once shared a friendly relationship. She had allowed him to stay rent-free in her spare room in exchange for companionship and help with errands. They had even gone on holiday together. But after Smith suffered a stroke, their dynamic changed, and Paterson assumed the role of informal carer—responsible for collecting her medication and helping with daily tasks.
Judge Justice Murray described the crime as “awful” and “callous.” Paterson was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 20 years before he is eligible for parole.
The horrifying case was recently revisited in a televised documentary that left audiences shaken. On social media, viewers expressed their disbelief and fear:
“So scary the people we walk this world alongside,” one person commented.
“He’s so calm it’s disturbing,” another wrote.
“OMG. This is horrific. Poor Annette,” a third said.
