Grisly moment killer who chopped up her housemate with a circular saw is caught by police dumping body in two suitcases

 CHILLING police bodycam video reveals the moment a woman who chopped up her housemate with a circular saw was caught trying to dump body parts in two suitcases.

"Callous and evil" Gareeca Gordon, 28, was jailed for at least 23 years today for murdering Pheonix Netts when she refused to have sex with her.

Pheonix Netts' body was found dismembered in two suitcases in May last year
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Pheonix Netts' body was found dismembered in two suitcases in May last yearCredit: Universal News & Sport
Gareeca Conita Gordon, 28, admitted killing her and hiding her dismembered body in two cases
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Gareeca Conita Gordon, 28, admitted killing her and hiding her dismembered body in two casesCredit: PA
Police bodycam footage shows the moment she was caught red-handed
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Police bodycam footage shows the moment she was caught red-handed

Footage shows police confronting Gordon after they spotted her near two suitcases beside a quarry in Coleford on April 16 last year.  

Gordon is seen attempting to delay cops from opening the bag in video released by West Midlands police.

Police threatened her she would be "arrested for obstruction" and she is heard saying “I don’t want to stop you guys”.

In the clip an officer then opens the bag and is heard exclaiming: “What the f***.”

Inside the suitcase was Nett’s partially burned torso which had been cut from the rest of her body with a circular saw.

Separate CCTV shows Gordon buying cleaning supplies and a sleeping bag in a shop.

Gordon was today given a minimum term of 23 years and six months at Bristol Crown Court.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Cutts branded her “a very dangerous young woman,” saying Gordon had gone to "considerable efforts" to dispose of the remains of Ms Netts.

A letter from Gordon's mum described her as a "ticking timebomb" at the time of the murder due to her mental state and a lack of support.

Gordon even pretended Ms Netts was still alive in "cold and calculated" messages to her friends and family, the court heard.

The last known contact Pheonix had was a phone call with a pal in the early hours of April 16
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The last known contact Pheonix had was a phone call with a pal in the early hours of April 16Credit: Enterprise

The judge told her: "You impersonated Ms Netts in a substantial number of WhatsApp messages to her mother, including requests for money.

"You impersonated her in messages. You noted expressions that Ms Netts used by listening to audio files Ms Netts had on her phone."

Bristol Crown Court was also told how Gordon had displayed “aggressive sexual behaviour” towards Ms Netts, which she turned down month before the gruesome killing on April 16 last year.

But the judge said the murder was not accompanied by sexual acts and was not premeditated.

'COLD AND CALCULATED'

Assessments carried out on Gordon following the murder found she has a personality disorder, has a low tolerance to frustration and struggles with perceived rejection, the court heard.

Mrs Justice Cutts told Gordon: "You stabbed her four times. None of these wounds would have been fatal had you called for help."

She said that a post-mortem examination showed Ms Netts would have survived for a "number of hours" after being stabbed by Gordon.

"You were aware that she was seriously injured and may not recover but yet you did nothing about it," the judge said.

"She must have been very frightened in those hours before she died."

Pheonix Netts was stabbed four times by her housemate Gareeca Conita Gordon, 28
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Pheonix Netts was stabbed four times by her housemate Gareeca Conita Gordon, 28Credit: PA

Andrew Langdon QC, representing Gordon, said her mum had written a letter to the judge saying she was "eternally sorry" for what her daughter had done.

The court heard another woman living in the shared accommodation with the pair heard noises of drilling and banging, as well as shouts of "help me, help me", on the same day as Ms Nett's murder.

After she killed her housemate, Gordon bought a circular saw on Gumtree for £45 and it was delivered to the property shortly before 11am on April 17.

You stabbed her four times. None of these wounds would have been fatal had you called for help.

Mrs Justice Cutts

Gordon was living at the same seven-bed women's refuge in Birmingham as Ms Nett, and made sexual advances towards her.

Andrew Smith QC said Ms Nett sent a text message to a friend saying: "There's a girl here who keeps asking me to be sexual.

"I think I'm going to move back to London. It's scaring me lol."

He told Bristol Crown Court that Gordon made a call to the Samaritans on April 9, in which she appeared "tipsy".

The QC said: "The clear focus of the call was Ms Gordon describing that she liked another woman and wanting to have sex with her."

The last known contact Pheonix had was a phone call with a pal in the early hours of April 16 - he attempted to ring her back that afternoon but didn't get through.

Her phone was used to make internet searches including "how to fix punctured lung", "internal bleeding" and "can someone recover from getting stabbed" between 1.04pm and 3.07pm that day, the court heard.

GRUESOME FIND

After she murdered Ms Netts, who was last seen in April last year, Gordon attempted to cover her tracks.

Gordon contacted Phoenix's friends and family using texts, emails and sometimes voice calls to pretend she was still alive.

She also indicated to loved ones Ms Netts was leaving the refuge and moving to London.

Police discovered her remains near a quarry in the Forest of Dean
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Police discovered her remains near a quarry in the Forest of DeanCredit: ANDREW LLOYD

The horrifying find of Ms Netts' body was made in the Forest of Dean almost a month after her death.

Gordon was arrested after a member of the public reported suspicions to police about a vehicle driving near Coleford on the evening of May 12.

Two police officers attended and saw Gordon standing close to Stowfield Quarry with two large suitcases, which contained the remains of Ms Netts.

A partially burned torso was found in one of the cases, and "handwritten plans" to move the body to Wales to "burn it further" were then discovered in Gordon's room.

Officers found the grisly murder scene in the Birmingham accommodation, which was said to have resembled an abattoir.

'IT'S SCARING ME'

Gordon was later charged with murder and was due to stand trial but pleaded guilty to the charge during a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on April 21.

Mahesh Sorathiya, 39,was charged with assisting an offender but case was dropped against him by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The family of Phoenix Netts said they had "finally got justice" and thanked all the police officers involved in the case.

"We would like to thank the good members of the public who first reported suspicious behaviour which led to the arrest of the perpetrator," they said in a statement released through West Midlands Police.

"Without them we may never had known what happened to Phoenix."

They added: "Phoenix was entirely blameless. I hope that this is now clear to everyone. She was the victim of a senseless act of violence which ended her life at a young age.

Phoenix's family paid tribute to her after the killer admitted guilt
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Phoenix's family paid tribute to her after the killer admitted guiltCredit: PA

"She was greatly loved by her family and we cared for her very much.

"We're aware there has been speculation on social media suggesting otherwise but this is not the case; we too received messages from Gordon pretending to be Phoenix.

"Hopefully now, Phoenix will be treated with the respect she deserves. Our families will continue to try and heal our lives the best we can."

Sentencing Gordon to life imprisonment today, Mrs Justice Cutts said: "You will serve a minimum term of 23 years and six months. Thereafter, it will be for the parole board to decide when, if ever, you should be released.

"If you are ever released, you will remain on licence for the rest of your life."

Her body had been cut in half and stuffed in two suitcases
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Her body had been cut in half and stuffed in two suitcasesCredit: ANDREW LLOYD

A detective who led the initial investigation into Gareeca Gordon has described her as the "most callous, calculating and evil person" he had ever dealt with.

Detective Chief Inspector John Turner, of Gloucestershire Police, said the case had been "extremely distressing" for officers who first discovered the remains of Phoenix Netts and those who had since been involved.

"The officers who attended that night were presented with a set of truly horrific circumstances and if it wasn't for their inquisitive nature I believe we may not have ever found Phoenix's body," Mr Turner said.

"As the investigation unfolded it became clear that Gordon had come up with an elaborate plan in order to try and hide her abhorrent actions. She is truly the most callous, calculating and evil person I have ever dealt with."

He said the "tenacity" of police officers from both Gloucestershire and West Midlands Police had ensured Gordon was jailed for her "horrific and heartless crimes".Speaking after Gordon pleaded guilty to murder, Lesley Milner of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "Gareeca Gordon committed a truly gruesome crime and tried to cover her tracks.

"Thankfully, the remarkable and detailed police investigation in identifying Phoenix Netts led to the CPS building a compelling case against Gordon, which resulted in her pleading guilty.

"She has now accepted the totality and consequences of her actions."

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