A husband who cut his wife’s body into 224 pieces before paying his friend £50 to dump her body in a river has been jailed for life.
Nicholas Metson, 28, stabbed Holly Bramley, 26, at least four times in March 2023 before dismembering her and hiding her body parts in the kitchen pantry of the flat they shared in Lincoln for a week.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Metson tried to cover up his “barbaric” act by purchasing large quantities of cleaning products and enlisting schoolmate Joshua Hancock, 28, to help carry the body parts to the River Witham in Bassingham. with a “job”.
He also used his Facebook account to send messages to friends and trick them into believing he was still alive; He claimed she left him and moved to Manchester while he was sending her money from his bank account.
Later, during a search of his mobile phone, it was revealed that Metson had made searches on Google such as “How to get rid of the body”, “What benefits can I get if my wife dies” and “Does God forgive murder”.
Miss Bramley’s remains were found in the river by a member of the public on the evening of March 25, more than a week after she was last seen. The hiker who found the body thought the remains belonged to an animal until he noticed a human hand. Some of Ms. Bramley’s remains, including parts of her heart, were never found.
Metson initially denied murder before changing his plea to guilty ahead of trial. He was sentenced Monday to life in prison with a minimum term of 19 years and 316 days.
Bramley’s mother, Annette, branded Bramley an “evil monster” who convinced her partner that his family was abusive and said her family had suffered “unimaginable pain”.
Describing his daughter as “beautiful, kind and loving”, the actor said: “We will forever remember that her last moments were full of pain. Her life was taken by someone who had no respect for human life.”
“We were prevented from seeing Holly in the years before the murder. We were prevented from seeing him before his death, and because of his monstrous actions, we were prevented from seeing him after his death.
“Holly will always be in our hearts, we will never forget her and her impact on our lives.”
The court held the hearing before her remains were found, and while Miss Bramley was missing, Lincolnshire Police looked into the flat she and Metson shared. Metson told officers that his wife left their home with two members of a local mental health crisis team on March 19.
Officers noticed a “strong odor of bleach and ammonia” in the apartment, a saw on a towel, blood-stained sheets in their bathroom, and a large blood stain on their bedroom floor.
After police determined that Metson’s statements about his wife’s disappearance were lies, he was arrested and charged with murdering his wife and perverting the course of justice.
As well as his poor search history, he had also sent a message to Hancock from Walnut Close, Waddington, in the early hours of March 25 offering money in exchange for help with a “job”.
Hancock was arrested on April 5 and charged with obstructing the coroner.
Extensive CCTV investigations revealed that Metson had carried a number of bags from his 14th-floor flat into a lift in the early hours of March 25 and then placed them in his yellow Peugeot.
Metson, who initially denied murdering his wife but pleaded guilty on February 23, and Hancock, who pleaded guilty at the same hearing to disposing of a body with intent to obstruct or impede a coroner’s inquest, were confronted by members of Miss Bramley’s distraught family. In court on Friday.
Sentencing Judge Simon Hirst said it was an aggravating feature that Metson had given no reason as to why he killed his wife and that it was clear she was a “much loved young woman”.
He said: “Her mother describes her as beautiful, kind and loving. “It is clear that Holly has been left with a void in the lives of her friends that can never be filled.”
The court noted that Metson had previous convictions for crimes committed against his former partners, the first of which occurred in 2013, 2016 and 2017, when he was 17 years old.
A family statement released through Lincolnshire Police said: “It is a very mixed feeling for us today as we see justice finally served after the barbaric and disgusting loss of our vibrant, happy and caring daughter, sister and aunt 12 months ago.
“Holly’s loss remains profound as we learn more and more about what happened to her before and after her tragic death. Today is certainly not closure, but it is a turning point in our pain and healing process.
“Our dear sweet Holly was a beautiful, caring, innocent soul with a kindness and warmth that touched everyone she met. She loved to sing, dance, had a passion for animals and was rarely seen without a smile on her face. His vibrant spirit and infectious laughter filled our lives with joy, he was truly special.
“She adored her younger brothers, nieces and nephews, and wanted nothing more than to one day be a mother herself. To have children of her own to dote on and shower with love. He has so many family and friends who love him that he now feels truly devastated and no longer here to live the long and happy life he deserves.
He added: “Sadly, meeting the man who brutally took his own life was just the start of a difficult road for Holly as she began a life of domestic violence and despite our best efforts as a family we were never able to pull her out of this situation.
“As a family, we want and encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence to get support and tell someone about it.
“We miss Holly so much our hearts are breaking. But we need his death to highlight that domestic violence is unacceptable. If she had realized that this was what she was being subjected to, her home would be with us now.”
They referred other survivors of domestic violence to LDASS, the Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Specialist Service, adding: “Let’s make domestic violence everyone’s business. For Holly’s sake.”
Hancock was arrested on April 5 and charged with obstructing the coroner.
Hancock admitted obstructing the coroner, as well as unrelated offenses including attempted sexual intercourse with a child and drug offences.
He was sentenced to a total of three years and three months in prison.