Killer who strangled a sex worker mother-of-two to death before stealing her phone and leaving her son to find her is jailed for 21 years

A killer who strangled a mother-of-two to death after she smirked at him during sex before leaving her 'lifeless' body on the floor for her son to find her has been jailed for 21 years.

'Highly dangerous' Adam Watson,37,intentionally 'suffocated' Samantha Holden after a row erupted in her bedroom,a court heard.

After murdering the 'much loved' 57-year-old sex worker,Watson fled to Belgium leaving Ms Holden's 18-year-old son,Tom,the 'misfortune' of finding the body of his 'lifeless and partially clothed' mum on the floor of her living room in her flat.

A post-mortem examination of the victim's body found 47 separate areas of bruising to her body and there were 'signs of prolonged struggle'.

Watson was sentenced to 21 years in jail after a judge branded him a 'callous' individual who is a danger to 'vulnerable women'.

Samantha Holden was found on the floor of her living room at her flat in Farnborough,Hants

Winchester Crown Court,Hants,heard Watson arranged an appointment with Ms Holden at her flat in Farnborough,on September 9,2022.

Watson arrived at her flat at 12:45pm,the court heard.

'By 1:40pm when the CCTV footage shows you leaving the premises,you had strangled and suffocated her,leaving her lifeless and partially clothed body on the floor of her living room,' Her Honour Judge Angela Morris said.

The court heard that a 'row' had erupted between the two and Watson admitted to the jury that he had slapped her in anger after she smirked during sex.

After murdering her,Watson covered her body with a blue dressing gown,stole her phone,and fled to Belgium.

Ms Holden's body was later found by her distraught son,who was 18 at the time. 

Watson's DNA was later found on Ms Holden's neck and fingernails,the court heard.

The judge said Ms Holden had been a sex worker for a number of years and had always been 'cautious and particular about her clientele'.

In a statement,Rebecca Elliott,Ms Holden's daughter,said it is 'difficult to put into words' the pain of losing her mother.

The 24-year-old said: 'Not only do Tom and I have to live without our mum,but the manner in which she dies continues to haunt me.

'The thought of my mum having such a difficult last moment and then being left on a cold slab where people poked and prodded at her broke my heart.

'I just wanted to put her body to rest.

'Her time was cut short,my time with her was cut short and I will never get that time with her.

'She was my best friend,soul mate,and most importantly my mum who I will no longer be able to share my life with.'

Prosecuting,Anna Vigars KC,said Ms Holden's body was found with 'very extensive bruising' which reflected 'signs of prolonged struggle'.

She said Ms Holden would have been 'fighting to get her breath' in the moments before she died.

'It must have been very obvious to her that she was going to die unless the hold around her neck... whatever it was at that point stopping her breathing was released,' the prosecutor said.

'She didn't use violence other than to defend herself.'

The prosecutor said she did not suggest that this was 'anything other than death caused out of an incident that blew up between the two of them' and there was 'no sophistication' to the attack.

Emma Goodall KC,representing Watson,said her client felt 'guilt and shame' for murdering Ms Holden.

'This was an unpremeditated,spontaneous and unsophisticated offence,' she said.

She said that Watson had previously behaved 'respectfully' to Ms Holden and said while he has not been professionally diagnosed,he did 'present as a man with an atypical cognitive profile'.

Jailing Watson to 21 years in jail,Judge Angela Morris said: 'I cannot even begin to imagine the unenviable horror which must have gripped her 18-year-old son Tom when he found his mother particularly clothes lying dead in the sitting room of the premises he shared with her.

'I am satisfied that when you strangled and suffocated Samantha Holden you intended to kill her.

'It would have taken time and albeit that time cannot be quantified,it would have involved a period of consciousness when Samantha Holden would have realised what you were doing to her before ultimately she succumbed to unconsciousness and then death.'

The judge said this was 'not the first time' Watson had 'caused a vulnerable female to become unconscious' and referred to a previous conviction in which Watson was jailed for attempted GBH and sexual assault of a 14 year old girl.

'You are,on any view,a highly dangerous individual,' the judge added,'that is particularly so towards vulnerable females.'

Detective Inspector Howard Broadribb of Hampshire Police said: 'This was a senseless and horrific incident which resulted in a much-loved mum losing her life.

'I would like to praise Samantha's family and children for their bravery,courage and assistance when they were dealing with unimaginable pain and grief having just lost their mum.

'I hope that today's sentence helps them to rebuild their lives and that they are able to feel a small sense of comfort that justice has been delivered.

'They now know that Adam Watson will spend a long time in prison for what he has done. He is a callous killer and his actions that day were deplorable.

'I would also like to thank the team of investigators who never gave up and worked tirelessly to extradite Watson back to the UK so he could face prosecution in this country.'

Ruth Sands,a senior Crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex: 'Adam Watson is a cold-blooded killer who attempted to evade justice by fleeing the country,whilst his victim still lay undiscovered.

'I want to pay tribute to the strength of Samantha's family.. They have experienced things no family should,and I hope that this sentence can begin to close this awful chapter for them.'