James Cartwright, who prosecutors say was leading a double life, had been dancing with his new girlfriend the night before he allegedly killed his ex Samantha Mickleburgh
A “controlling and coercive” father-of-three accused of raping and murdering his ex-fiancée at a luxury hotel had been out dancing with his new girlfriend the night before, a court has heard.
Samantha Mickleburgh, who had ended the relationship two months before, was found dead at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey, in the early hours of April 14 last year. The 54-year-old mother of two had arranged to stay in a twin room with James Cartwright because she “didn’t want him to feel lonely” on his 60th birthday, his trial heard.
Cartwright, 61, who prosecutors say was leading a double life, had been out dancing at a ceilidh with Ella Callard the night before allegedly killing his ex “with his own bare hands”, Guildford Crown Court was told. In a call after the incident, he told her he did not know Ms Mickleburgh would be there, and woke up the next morning to find her dead, the court was told.
Cartwright, of no fixed address, is accused of raping and murdering Ms Mickleburgh between April 12 and April 14 last year. He is also accused of one count of controlling and coercive behaviour between May 1, 2022 and April 14, 2024. He denies all charges.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Ms Callard said Cartwright had initially been “very attentive, quiet and reserved” after they met online in February 2024. Cartwright told her he was being cautious about the relationship because he had been “hurt before”, the trial heard.
After a first date at a garden centre, the couple began spending more time together, with Ms Callard giving him the nickname “Mr Genuine”, the court heard. As Cartwright’s 60th birthday approached, he told her his daughters had been making arrangements, telling him to meet them at the hotel, the court was told.
The night before the trip, Cartwright had joined Ms Callard at a ceilidh dance at a nearby town, and told her later she was the “loveliest woman in the room that evening”, jurors were told. He “seemed in a happy mood” when he left for Surrey the following morning, the court heard.
In a call with Ms Callard in the days after the incident, he told her his ex-fiancée had a nose bleed during the night but refused medical help, the court was told. “He told me he woke up in the morning and she was dead,” Ms Callard said.
Cartwright assured her nothing intimate had happened between him and Ms Mickleburgh, and said he was not expecting her to be there when he arrived. “He said he expected the doors of the restaurant to open and his family would be there, but he realised the table was only set for two,” Ms Callard said.
Ms Mickleburgh’s colleague and friend Martin Manning said she had been looking for love when she met Cartwright. She told him her relationship with Cartwright had initially been “fine”, but said he could sometimes lose his temper, jurors heard.
“She caught him reading her emails and then he lost it big time,” Mr Manning told the court. “He would shout at her and back her into a corner. It frightened her. I was concerned for her safety,” he added.
Mr Manning said he offered to let Ms Mickleburgh stay with him and his wife to get away from Cartwright if she felt scared. He even set up a code phrase for her to say over the phone to let him know if she was in danger, the court heard.
“He was difficult to get rid of, she wanted him out,” Mr Manning continued. “He told her ‘I’m not a real man if I let you throw me out.’ I did find that very disturbing.”
Prosecutor Louise Oakley told jurors previously that Cartwright called 999 at about 8.30am on April 14 claiming he had discovered the lifeless body of Ms Mickleburgh lying next to him in bed, jurors were told. “That was a lie,” Ms Oakley said. “He had most likely killed her in the early hours of April 14, 2024 with his own bare hands applying manual pressure around her neck, extinguishing her life.”
“There were only two people in this room – and she couldn’t have and didn’t strangle herself,” Ms Oakley said. Following their breakup, Cartwright had continued to pursue Ms Mickleburgh, attending her address unexpectedly and uninvited, and “bombarding her” with messages and calls, Ms Oakley said.
“He had started to lose control of his relationship with Samantha because of his own controlling and coercive ways,” she added. The trial continues.