'Devious' killer who decapitated friend must serve 34 years

A woman who murdered and decapitated her friend before putting her in a suitcase and dumping the body has been sentenced to life in jail.

Jemma Mitchell will serve at least 34 years for killing 67-year-old Mee Kuen Chong at her London home in June 2021.

Aggravating factors included that the killing was carried out for gain, and the manner in which she treated Ms Chong’s body, the judge said.

“I am driven to the conclusion that you are extremely devious,” he added.

On Friday, Judge Richard Marks KC was broadcast handing down his sentence to the 38-year-old at the Old Bailey.

Mitchell became the first murderer and the first woman to be sentenced on television in England and Wales, after rules were changed to allow cameras into courtrooms.

“There is the chilling aspect of what you did to and with her body after you killed her,” the judge said.

“You have shown absolutely no remorse and it appears you are in complete denial as to what you did, notwithstanding what in my judgment amounted to overwhelming evidence against you.”

Continuing to speak about the forgeries, Judge Marks says one of the signatures forged by Mitchell belonged to a man named Virgil, “an erstwhile neighbour of yours who had died some months earlier.

“Following his death you have managed to gain access to his room and you took from that room, various papers of his, including his passport, as well as his mobile phone,” the judge added.

“A short time later you rang a phone company pretending to be him, giving his name and date of birth and you had the phone reactivated.”

Ms Chong’s sister Amy Chong joined the hearing by video link from Malaysia and provided a victim impact statement to be read by the prosecution.

In it she said she suffers sleepless nights and was “shocked and saddened” she had to go through “such a horrifying ordeal and tragic” death.

“We still do not understand how she died. Did she suffer? This mystery will haunt me forever,” she said.

Before proceedings began, Mitchell blew kisses to her mother with whom she shared the £4m family home in north-west London, who was sitting in the public gallery.

Following her conviction, Det Ch Insp Jim Eastwood said: “Mitchell has never accepted responsibility for Ms Chong’s murder so there are questions which remain unanswered.

“Why she kept her body for a fortnight, why she decapitated her, why she deposited her remains in Salcombe.

“What we do know is that these were evil acts carried out by an evil woman and the only motive clearly was one of financial gain.”

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