The gruesome details of how a landlord was stabbed to death, hacked to pieces and then had his body parts scattered across two counties have been described to a jury in the murder trial involving two of his tenants.

The jurors at St Albans Crown Court were told how Jeffrey Howe, aged 49, was stabbed to death in the two-bedroom flat he owned in Southgate in March 2009.

Stephen Marshall, aged 38, whose address was given as Borehamwood, this week pleaded guilty to two counts of perverting the course of justice by dismembering and disposing of Mr Howe's body. He also admitted trying to mislead police officers when asked about his victim's whereabouts, and obstructing a coroner in exercising his duty.

His partner Sarah Bush, aged 21, from Southgate, has denied two charge of perverting the course of justice and one of obstructing a coroner. Marshall and Bush have denied a charge of murder.

It is alleged by the prosecution that after cutting up Mr Howe’s body and scattering it in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire the duo stole money from their landlord’s bank account.

Prosecuting QC Stuart Trimmer said: “Mr Howe was murdered and immediately after that Marshall and Bush started using his account.

“The murder and dismemberment of the body occurred within his home. Substantial quantities of blood must have been shed in the murder and in the business of dismembering the body.

“Where there appears to have been a determined effort at cleaning up, blood from Mr Howe was found in the ensuite bathroom and bedroom of the flat. Some of the underlay under the carpet also had diluted blood.”

During the murder hunt Mr Howe's leg was found in a lay-by in Hertfordshire, his skull was found in a field in Leicestershire, his torso, left forearm and a leg were found at separate locations in Hertfordshire.

Trimmer went on to describe how the face flesh around the outside of the skull had been removed by someone who appeared to have knowledge of how to do this.
The trial continues.