A wealthy estate agent has appeared in court accused of murdering his ex fiancée at a luxury hotel used by the England football and rugby teams.
James Cartwright was arrested after the body of Samantha Mickleburgh, 54, was found in a £500 a night room the couple had booked for his 60th birthday earlier this month.
Paramedics were called to the exclusive five-star Pennyhill Park at Bagshot, Surrey, on Sunday, April 14 after Samantha’s body was discovered when estate agent Cartwright called 999 saying he had ‘found her dead’.
Prosecutor Gus Walter told the court the couple had met via a dating agency in September 2022 and they had planned to get married.
A source at the hotel revealed that a man and a woman arrived at the hotel last Friday.
The source said at the weekend: ‘The couple had arrived on the Friday and had been booked in for the whole weekend with spa treatments as well.
‘They had been booked for a massage that morning but didn’t turn up and staff didn’t even know it might be murder as the management wanted it kept quiet.
‘Staff were told that there had been a death and nothing else so when the news broke everyone was shocked although police have been there all week but it’s been kept very quiet.
‘The hotel prides itself on privacy and discretion and guests have still been checking and using the facilities but none of them know what happened.
‘The room where it happened is closed off and that area is out of bounds to everyone apart from the police and management.’
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Debbie Birch said: ‘Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this difficult time.
‘The investigation is in the early stages and a specialist team of officers are working around the clock to follow up enquiries.’
Pennyhill Park, which sits in 120 acres of parkland, near Bagshot, is described as ‘Surrey’s most luxurious spa and hotel retreat’ and located around two miles from Bagshot Park, where Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh lives.
Cartwright, of Axminster, Devon, spoke to confirm his name and age and was dressed in a quilted jacket and grey trousers. He was arrested the day after the postmortem.
He was accused of murder and controlling and coercive behaviour and remanded in custody until his next appearance on Wednesday at Guildford Crown Court.
Share or comment on this article: Pictured: Wealthy estate agent, 60, with lover, 54, he is accused of murdering at luxury five-star hotel used by the England football and rugby teams – as he is remanded in custody after appearing in court
- It made its way to its spiritual home in Perthshire for the first time in 700 years
- It will be the centrepiece of the new £27 million museum which opens this month
It left the capital city to much pomp and pageantry befitting a sacred ancient relic.
However, the Stone of Destiny has now been driven to its new home at the Perth Museum in the most unceremonious of fashions.
The fanfare and high security operation put in place to transport the stone from Edinburgh Castle to Westminster Abbey for the King’s Coronation last May was certainly not adopted last week.
Instead, the relic was bundled into the back of a Transit van.
The historic sandstone slab has played a role in Royal coronations on both sides of the Border for hundreds of years, and will be the centrepiece of the new £27 million museum when it opens on March 30.
A small-scale farewell ceremony was held at Edinburgh Castle on Thursday to mark the departure of the stone as it made its way to its spiritual home in Perthshire for the first time in 700 years.
First Minister Humza Yousaf attended the ceremony in his capacity as a Commissioner for the Safeguarding of the Regalia.
But its arrival was somewhat anticlimactic, as the artefact was delivered to the museum in the back of a white van.
One onlooker called it ’embarrassing’, while another said they expected ‘such an iconic piece of history’ to have been delivered with some solemnity and with its return home being heralded by museum chiefs.
Perth businessman Iain Fenwick said: ‘You would have thought having spent £26.73 million there would have been more pomp and ceremony.
;However, I have been assured this is a deliberate tactic, and those with experience at Culture Perth and Kinross and Perth and Kinross Council know what they are doing.
‘Leaving everything to the last second, apparently, gathers the biggest crowds for free-to-attend events.
‘I’m looking forward to finding out what all of these events are.
‘All top secret right now, with two weeks to go.’
A council spokesperson said: ‘Arrangements remain on track for display of the Stone of Destiny in the new Perth Museum which opens to the public on March 30.’
The building now housing the Stone of Destiny has so far attracted just 500 followers on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, even though its grand opening will take place in less than two weeks’ time.
Despite the massive investment in the new home for the Stone of Destiny, it has so far failed to spark the imagination of the public.
The attraction, which is managed by quango Culture Perth and Kinross, will be hoping online follower numbers will spike once the venue officially opens. Free tickets for the opening weekend will be available to book from Friday at 10am.
The museum describes itself as a ‘world-class cultural and heritage attraction’ which will boast ‘objects and stories to put Perth and Kinross at the centre of Scotland’s story’.
The museum website says: ‘At its heart will sit the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, one of Scotland and the UK’s most significant historical objects.
‘Returning to Perthshire for the first time in over 700 years, the Stone will be the centrepiece of the new museum.
‘Alongside the Stone, the Museum will display Perth & Kinross’s Recognised Collections of National Significance as well as iconic loans and exhibitions from the UK and abroad.’