Jemma Mitchell case

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Not to be confused with
Jenny Mitchel, or Jenn Mitchell
.
For the American scientist and university professor, see Deborah Chung.

Jemma Mitchell
osteopath
Criminal statusImprisoned
MotiveFinancial gain
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment with a minimum of 34 years
Details
VictimsMee Kuen Chong
CountryEngland
Location(s)Salcombe, Devon
Date apprehended
6 July 2021

Jemma Mitchell (born 22 July 1984)

Richard Marks KC to life imprisonment
with a minimum term of 34 years.

Background and murder

Jemma Mitchell was born and grew up in Australia, where her mother worked for the UK's

British School of Osteopathy she returned to Australia, where she set herself up as an osteopath.[1] She relocated back to the UK in 2015, but continued to own a property in Helensvale, Queensland. She did not work after 2015, as she was not registered with the General Osteopathic Council and could therefore not practise in the UK.[2][5][6][7] Mitchell shared a house with her mother, who was retired, and her sister, in Willesden, north west London; the property was worth £4 million, but in a state of disrepair, and had been owned by the family for several generations.[2][3][6][8] Mitchell is said to have had a turbulent relationship with her sister,[3] and had a 2016 conviction for breaching a non-molestation order relating to her sister and brother-in-law;[6] she was given a conditional discharge for the offence by North West London Magistrates' Court.[9]

In or around August 2020,

spiritual healing,[14] and that she was having a relationship with Prince Charles, with whom she believed she could communicate via YouTube.[15] Prior to her death she had been exhibiting erratic behaviour, and was referred by the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre to her local community mental health team for sending letters to Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[5][16] Another friend, who attended church with Chong, described her as having a sweet and childlike nature.[17]

Mitchell and her mother planned to make improvements to their property, adding another floor to the house, but were cheated out of £230,000 by two builders they had hired for the project.

will leaving the bulk of Chong's £700,000 estate to herself. Chong, who had last been seen alive on 10 June, was reported missing by her lodger on 11 June. When Mitchell was questioned by police as to Chong's whereabouts, she said Chong had gone to stay with family friends "somewhere close to the ocean", and that she had been feeling "depressed".[4][6][19][20]

Mitchell stored the suitcase in the garden of the house she shared with her mother for two weeks.[4] After reactivating her deceased neighbour's mobile phone, then using it to hire a car,[20] on 26 June, she drove 200 miles (320 km) to Salcombe in Devon to dispose of the body, and dumped it on a woodland path near Bennett Road.[4] The body, with the head missing, was found by holidaymakers the following day. A police search subsequently found the head four days later, around 10 metres (33 ft) away from the rest of the body. Chong was 67.[5] Chong's body was too badly decomposed to determine a cause of death, but a post mortem did ascertain that Chong had received a fracture to the skull.[8]

Arrest and trial

Mitchell was arrested on 6 July 2021, and subsequently charged with Chong's murder. During her custodial interrogation with the

not guilty. Judge Anthony Leonard QC set a four-week trial for 2022, and another hearing for December, when Mitchell appeared again via videolink.[11] At that hearing, held on 23 December, Lucraft set a trial date for 26 September 2022.[23] However, the trial date was subsequently delayed until 11 October due to the strike action being staged by members of the Criminal Bar Association.[24]

Proceedings took place in Courtroom 12 of the Old Bailey.[3] The case was prosecuted by Deanna Heer KC,[5] and defended by Richard Jory KC,[25] while the trial was presided over by Judge Richard Marks KC.[26]

The trial was told that Mitchell had practised as an osteopath for seven years, and that her professional website had described her as being "attuned to subjects in neuroanatomy, genetics and dissection of human cadavers".[5] The court also heard that Chong had been killed after she changed her mind about putting the money into the house renovation scheme.[27] Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mitchell arriving at Chong's house with the blue suitcase shortly after 8.00 am on 11 June 2021, and emerging with it looking bulkier and heavier at around 1.13 pm. A second smaller bag was said to have contained documents stolen from the property. She was then captured walking through London with the bags for at least two hours, before being picked up by a taxi for the rest of her journey home.[6][28] The trial was told that, later that evening, she attended St Thomas' Hospital in central London with a broken finger, which she claimed to have shut in a door.[28]

The court also heard that the

tea towel was discovered in the pocket.[6]

Mitchell declined to give evidence in her defence, so a case for the defence was argued on her behalf. Her defence team asserted that there was no evidence to support the claim Chong's body had been stored in the suitcase due to the lack of DNA evidence, while there was also no evidence of a struggle at Chong's house. Heer countered that the broken finger Mitchell sustained while at the property was evidence of a struggle. Mitchell's defence further argued that the value of her property, estimated to be worth £4 million, together with £93,000 in personal savings, meant she did not have a financial motive to kill.[6][20]

Conviction and sentence

The jury was sent out to consider the case on 21 October 2022.[26] Following seven hours of deliberation, on 27 October Mitchell was convicted of murder.[6] Media reports described Mitchell as appearing passive as she heard the verdict.[30][31] Following the verdict, it was reported that the sentencing phase of the trial would be televised, making Mitchell the first convicted murderer in England and Wales to be sentenced on live television, as well as the first woman in the UK to have her sentence filmed.[14] The sentencing was the second to be filmed in England and Wales since a change in the law permitted television cameras into court, and to protect jurors and witnesses only the judge would be filmed.[32]

The hearing took place at the Old Bailey on 28 October. A

parole until 21 October 2056.[33]

Following Mitchell's conviction, her mother continued to maintain Mitchell's innocence, claiming the suitcase had not contained a body but "crockery, cutlery and tea towels" instead, and claimed that Mitchell would appeal against the conviction.[8][34] In a subsequent media interview she claimed Mitchell was a "silly girl" who is "really, really bright" but "messed up", and that the police believed her to be the killer because "she washed the blue suitcase".[35] On the day of her conviction, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation into the case, said that Mitchell "has never accepted responsibility" for the murder, so there were some questions which remained unanswered: "Why she kept her body for a fortnight, why she decapitated her, why she deposited her remains in Salcombe".[8][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Woman, 38, who was an expert in body dissection 'murdered and decapitated Malaysian pensioner'". Ceres Post. 11 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "'Healer' who decapitated church friend jailed for at least 34 years". The Guardian. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Wilkinson, Helena; Britton, Jeremy; Bell, Bethan (27 October 2022). "The cold-hearted woman who killed, decapitated and dumped her friend". BBC News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jemma Mitchell jailed for 34 years for murdering and decapitating friend". Sky News. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Devout Christian decapitated her church friend, trial told". BBC News. 11 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pennink, Emily; Hawkins, Jamie (27 October 2022). "Smiling face of killer who dumped friend's body in woods". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  7. ^ Gusmaroli, Danielle (6 November 2022). "Jemma Mitchell's mum Hilary Collard says daughter 'no killer'". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "'Devious' killer who decapitated friend must serve 34 years". BBC News. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  9. ^ Pennink, Emily; Hawkins, Jamie; Codd, Toby (28 October 2022). "Woman guilty of killing friend and dumping headless body". SomersetLive. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  10. ^ Sabin, Lamiat (10 July 2021). "Woman charged with murder after London pensioner found 'decapitated' in Devon woodland". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  11. ^ a b Sly, Eleanor (28 September 2021). "Woman denies killing Londoner and dumping headless body 250 miles away". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  12. ^ a b Pennink, Emily (29 October 2022). "'Healer' is handed 34-year jail term in England for beheading vulnerable widow". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  13. ^ Woode, David. "Jemma Mitchell: osteopath jailed after murdering and beheading friend". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Headless body trial: Woman to be sentenced on TV for murder". BBC News. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  15. ^ Reaidi, Joseph; Pennink, Emily (17 October 2022). "Paper with bible quotes found with headless body dumped in woods". Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  16. ^ King, Jordan (14 October 2022). "Woman 'beheaded by friend' thought she was in 'relationship with King Charles'". Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  17. ^ Highfield, Anna; Smith, Colleen (8 July 2021). "Alleged murder victim had 'sweet and childlike nature'". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  18. ^ Pennink, Emily (19 October 2022). "Victim urged murder accused to sell £4m home and 'enjoy money', court told". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  19. ^ a b Raffray, Nathalie (13 July 2021). "Woman in court on murder charge after pensioner found decapitated". Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  20. ^ a b c Reaidi, Joseph (28 October 2022). "Who is Jemma Mitchell – the woman who murdered and decapitated her friend?". Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  21. ^ Abel, Stuart (10 July 2021). "Mee Chong murder accused Jemma Mitchell to appear at Old Bailey". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  22. ^ Pennink, Emily; Smith, Colleen (13 July 2021). "Mee Chong murder accused appears in court". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  23. ^ Smith, Colleen (24 December 2021). "Mee Kuen Chong murder accused makes Old Bailey appearance". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  24. ^ Eve, Carl (28 September 2022). "Property developer accused of murder faces trial". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  25. ^ "'Evil' Jemma Mitchell jailed for life on TV for killing and beheading friend". expressandstar.com. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Headless body murder trial jury can consider manslaughter charge". BBC News. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Woman killed and beheaded friend for money, Old Bailey hears". BBC News. 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  28. ^ a b c Heren, Kit (17 October 2022). "Headless woman found with Biblical quote written on scrap of paper". LBC. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  29. ^ Hawkins, Jamie (17 October 2022). "Woman's headless body 'dumped' in Devon, court hears". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  30. ^ Pennink, Emily; Hawkins, Jamie (27 October 2022). "Smiling face of killer who dumped friend's body in woods". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  31. ^ Pennink, Emily (30 October 2022). "Australian therapist murdered and decapitated friend in her London home". 7NEWS. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  32. ^ Sommerlad, Joe (28 October 2022). "Why are British courts introducing televised sentencing?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  33. ^ "Criminal sentence – Jemma Mitchell". Thelawpages.com. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Headless body killer jailed for 34 years in live TV sentencing". ITV News. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  35. ^ Gusmaroli, Danielle (5 November 2022). "Australian killer Jemma Mitchell's mum says she's 'no killer', was 'broken-hearted' and used by men". The Toowoomba Chronicle. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  36. ^ Harding, Richard (27 October 2022). "Mee Kuen Chong Salcombe murder: Police make statement on headless' woman case as Jemma Mitchell convicted". Mid-Devon Advertiser. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
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