UK - Shakira Spencer, 35, tortured and starved to death, Ealing, London, 25 September 2022

[Tortoise]

it looks as if there are no deliberations today?

	Central Criminal Court​	13​	T20227330​	Ashana Studholme Lisa Richardson Shaun Pendlebury​
Details: Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 09:52 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 10:15 - 09:58 Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 10:20 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 09:30 - 10:27

https://www.thelawpages.com/court-hearings-lists/Central-Criminal-Court.php

 

[DSleuth]

This case is so sad. I don’t know why there is such a lack of reporting on this. I’ve tried reading between the lines to work out whether there are reporting restrictions, but I don’t think there are.
I’ve never posted on here before, but have followed WS for ages and I wondered whether any of the wise regular posters have any thoughts on why there has been so little reported on this and why this case has attracted such little media attention.

 

[AcbMurders]

This case is so sad. I don’t know why there is such a lack of reporting on this. I’ve tried reading between the lines to work out whether there are reporting restrictions, but I don’t think there are.
I’ve never posted on here before, but have followed WS for ages and I wondered whether any of the wise regular posters have any thoughts on why there has been so little reported on this and why this case has attracted such little media attention.

Totally agree. Maybe there are just so many trials taking place in London, that there aren’t enough reporters to cover them. But sadly, it might also have something to do with the social background and environment where it all happened: not perceived as newsworthy as other murder cases? So unfair imo.

 

[Lucy6226]

This case is so sad. I don’t know why there is such a lack of reporting on this. I’ve tried reading between the lines to work out whether there are reporting restrictions, but I don’t think there are.
I’ve never posted on here before, but have followed WS for ages and I wondered whether any of the wise regular posters have any thoughts on why there has been so little reported on this and why this case has attracted such little media attention.

Unfortunately this is often the case with women of colour in the UK. The press seem to prefer middle class, attractive white women. It's a disgrace. I often only find out about missing/murdered PoC through here

All moo.

 

[Chimera]

Shame on the others who knew and said nothing.
This was not the work of one person, in my opinion.
We'll never know if there was participation in Shakira's torture, but now those suspects are all alike -- in cover up mode !
Omo.

 

[DSleuth]

Totally agree. Maybe there are just so many trials taking place in London, that there aren’t enough reporters to cover them. But sadly, it might also have something to do with the social background and environment where it all happened: not perceived as newsworthy as other murder cases? So unfair imo.

I agree re many murder trials taking place, but this case is pretty unique (thankfully), so I find the lack of coverage surprising. But you might be right with your thoughts about background and environment.

Unfortunately this is often the case with women of colour in the UK. The press seem to prefer middle class, attractive white women. It's a disgrace. I often only find out about missing/murdered PoC through here

All moo.

I didn’t want to bring race into it, but I sadly wonder if this is why too.

As well as the lack of reporting in general on the trial, I’m also surprised at the lack of information on the victim’s background in the press and the total absence of reporting on any of the charged parties (when they were suspects but before they actually were charged).

Shame on the others who knew and said nothing.
This was not the work of one person, in my opinion.
We'll never know if there was participation in Shakira's torture, but now those suspects are all alike -- in cover up mode !
Omo.

I agree- trying to distance themselves from it and in so doing blame the others.

 

[DSleuth]

DBM duplicate post

 

[bobbymkii]

I wonder what's taking them so long? This trial has been going on for three whole months!

 

[bobbymkii]

VERDICT IN!!!

​

Central Criminal Court​	13​	T20227330​	Ashana Studholme Lisa Richardson Shaun Pendlebury​
Details: - No Information To Display - Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 10:04 Trial (Part Heard) - Jury retire to consider verdict - 10:07 Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 11:51 Trial (Part Heard) - Jury retire to consider verdict - 12:12 Trial (Part Heard) - Verdict to be taken - 15:33

 

[bobbymkii]

Boom! Guilty, guilty, guilty!

 

[bobbymkii]

Shakira Spencer: Three convicted of torture murder of mother of two

At the Old Bailey trial, the prosecution likened Shakira Spencer's killers to a pack of feral savages.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[AcbMurders]

Shakira Spencer: Three convicted of torture murder of mother of two

At the Old Bailey trial, the prosecution likened Shakira Spencer's killers to a pack of feral savages.

www.bbc.co.uk

Anything less than 40yrs for each of these 3 would be a travesty imo

 

[bobbymkii]

Anything less than 40yrs for each of these 3 would be a travesty imo

It might just happen as well. There are some very severe aggravating factors that the judge can use to bump their minimum terms up, and no mitigating factors whatsoever that I can see!
The three of them are truly abhorrent.

 

[bobbymkii]

IMAGE SOURCE,MET POLICE
Image caption,
From left: Shaun Pendlebury, Ashana Studholme and Lisa Richardson (Shakira Spencer: Three convicted of torture murder of mother of two)

 

[bobbymkii]

 

[DSleuth]

This case just gets worse and more horrific the more that is reported. That poor woman. She was so vulnerable and there are significant aggravating factors which will hopefully be taken into account with the sentencing.

 

[bobbymkii]

This case just gets worse and more horrific the more that is reported. That poor woman. She was so vulnerable and there are significant aggravating factors which will hopefully be taken into account with the sentencing.

All of them are beyond the pale, but by the look of it Studholme is the worst of them. She appears to have been the ringleader, exercising staggering levels of coercive control (not just on Shakira but on the others and Shaun's mum) and by controlling Shakira's finances you can definitely argue that it was a murder for gain.

 

[bobbymkii]

I don't know why courtserve has blanked out the defendants' names, but it's the same case number and judge. Looks like (finally) sentencing will take place tomorrow morning, and may even be broadcast!

Court 7 - sitting at 11:30 am

HER HONOUR JUDGE ANGELA RAFFERTY KC​

For Sentence

T20227330	********** *****	01MP0215522	*****	***
	********** ****	01MP0215522
	********* ******	01MP0215522

DTA, THIS SENTENCING HEARING MIGHT BE RECORDED AND BROADCAST. , Order made under s45a, Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999

 

[bobbymkii]

They got 34 years (minimum) each.

 

[AcbMurders]

Unusual for women to go down for many years in UK, but fully deserved imo. Well done Judge

Shakira Spencer: Three people sentenced to life for torture murder

Shakira Spencer was tortured and starved by three people she had believed to be friends.

www.bbc.co.uk

Adding that Studholme was not "mentally ill or psychotic", the judge told her: "You have a personality that is aggressive, dominant and manipulative.
"You took full advantage of Shakira Spencer. You have told the probation officer a pack of manipulative lies and shown no remorse whatsoever."
Judge Rafferty told Pendlebury, 26, that he had a "low IQ" and was "compliant and a follower rather than a leader", but had also been a "fully involved member of this group who tortured Shakira sadistically".

Shakira Spencer: Three jailed for murdering woman they tortured and 'treated like a slave' - and fed only ketchup from sachets

Shakira Spencer's badly decomposed body was found after neighbours saw maggots coming from her west London flat. She was killed after months of "dehumanising and degrading" torture and abuse.

news.sky.com

In an impact statement read to the court, Ms Spencer's son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "I've suffered with daily nightmares and anxiety over what happened to her. I cannot get the horrible image of my mother looking skinny and unwell out of my head. Why were they [the defendants] so heartless? What could cause them to torture another human? I hope that every day they feel bad for the choices they have made."