SENTENCING STATEMENTS

A judge may decide to publish a statement after passing sentence on an offender in cases where there is particular public interest; where a case has legal significance; or where providing the reasons for the decision might assist public understanding.

Please note that statements may include graphic details of offences when it is necessary to fully explain the reasons behind a sentencing decision.

Once charges are spent, any statement in relation to them is removed and cannot be provided or acknowledged. Statements published before the launch of the website may be available on request. Please email judicialcomms@scotcourts.gov.uk.

The independence of the judiciary is essential to safeguard people’s rights under law - enabling judges to make decisions impartially based solely on evidence and law, without interference or influence from the government or politicians.

When deciding a sentence, a judge must deal with the offence that the offender has been convicted of, taking into account the unique circumstances of each particular case. The judge will carefully consider the facts that are presented to the Court by both the prosecution and by the defence.

For more information about how judges decide sentences; what sentences are available; and matters such as temporary release, see the independent Scottish Sentencing Council website .

Read more about victims of crime and sentencing.

HMA v Ewen Methven

Jul 14, 2025

At the High Court in Glasgow today, Lord Matthews sentenced Ewen Methven to life imprisonment for the murder of Phoenix Spencer-Horn. Methven must serve a minimum period of 23 years before he can be considered for parole.

On sentencing, Lord Matthews said:

"Ewen Methven you pleaded guilty to a dreadful crime, namely the murder of Phoenix Spencer-Horn, a much loved and sadly missed daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend.

At 21 years and 134 days old, she was standing at the threshold of what should have been a long and fulfilling life. You were a trusted member of her family. but you betrayed that trust and robbed her of life in the cruellest way.

I will not repeat all of the harrowing details that were read out in court on the last occasion you appeared. It is enough to say that for reasons no one will ever understand, and in the flat you shared with her, you strangled her and stabbed her 20 times, 10 of these in the face. Not content with what you had done to her, you robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and trying to dismember her, in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice. For two days after you murdered Phoenix, you indulged in drug abuse and watched pornography, pretending by text to her mother that you were her.

I have rarely read such outpourings of grief as are contained in the Victim Impact Statements from her family, who have endeavoured to put into words what can never truly be encapsulated, the sadness and the deep sense of loss they all feel and will continue to feel thanks to what you did. The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant that her family did not even have the comfort of saying goodbye to her

I know that nothing I can say or do and no punishment I can inflict will ever be enough.

The only sentence I can pass on the charge of murder is one of imprisonment for life. I also have to select a period, known as the punishment part of the sentence, which must pass before you can apply for parole. Whether or not you are ever released on licence, if ever, will be a matter for others to decide.

I have this morning seen a letter written by you but it answers none of the questions which must be plaguing the family. You blame the effect of substances but that is no excuse.

I have taken account of all the circumstances, the contents of the report and everything said by your counsel, although, in truth, the only matters of any consequence are your lack of record and the fact that you pleaded guilty. I must at the same time have regard to recent decisions of the Appeal court in relation to punishment parts.

The sentences I am going to impose will be concurrent and will run from 20 November 2024. As far as charge 2, the charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, is concerned, you would have been imprisoned for 6 years had the matter gone to trial. On the murder charge, the punishment part, taking account of the sentence on charge 2, would have been 27 years, with 2 years attributable to the partner aggravation. Given the timing of your plea, the sentence on charge 2 will be 5 years. On the charge of murder, given the timing of the plea, I fix the punishment part at 23 years, with 20 months attributable to the partner aggravation and I sentence you to imprisonment for life."

14 July 2025