Jigsaw Murder Pair Jailed

1 February 2010, 14:20 | Updated: 2 February 2010, 13:23

Jigsaw killer Stephen Marshall was jailed for life today for the murder a friend whose body he then chopped up and scattered across two counties.

Marshall, helped by his lover, prostitute Sarah Bush, got rid of the parts including Jeffrey Howe's head, dumping them by roads and in fields.

The former doorman, with links to London's underworld, thought that by scattering the parts throughout Hertfordshire and Leicestershire no one would be able to identify Mr Howe.

He was proved wrong and today Marshall was told he must spend a minimum term of 36 years behind bars.

Bush, a 21 year old mother of two was jailed for a total of three years and nine months.

Up until last week Marshall had denied the murder and claimed his girlfriend had killed Mr Howe. He claimed he had chopped up the body of Mr Howe and disposed of the parts in an effort to help her. The various parts of Mr Howe's body began turning up last March just days after Marshall had stabbed him to death. Police quickly realised they were dealing with a murder victim whose identity at the time wasn't known.

As more pieces were discovered the victim became known as the 'Jigsaw Man.'

But within days detectives from Hertfordshgire investigating the grizzly finds realized their enquiry was linked to a missing person enquiry that had already been launched by Met police.

Friends of Jeffrey Howe had repotted him missing during Marchfrom his flat in Southgate.

Police discovered Marshall and Bush had moved in with the victim during December 2008.

They had been homeless and Mr Howe had taken pity on the couple and offerened them a roof over their heads.

The two men worked together in the kitchen fitting industry but it wasn't long before Mr Howe was regretting allowing them into his two bedroomed flat in Pickard Close, Southgate.

The couple weren't paying any rent, stealing his food and treating the place as their own.

He wanted them to leave but they wouldn't.

Unknown to him Marshall was already planning to take over the property and plunder his bank account.

Jailing him Mr Justice Cooke told Marshall at first Mr Howe had looked up to him and been scared of him.

The judge said the evidence was that Marshall had exploited that and quickly realised Mr Marshall was someone who could be killed and disposed of and his identity used to empty his bank account.

The court heard Marshall had recently admitted that between 1995 and 1998 he had worked as a doorman at clubs where on four occasions he had been asked to assist is the dismemberment of four unidentified men who had been killed earlier and their brought to the clubs during the night.

His barrister, Peter Doyle QC said Marshall had thought it "sensible" not to ask questions and following the chopping up of the bodies the parts would be collected by others and taken to Epping Forest and buried.