Man Found Guilty Murdering, Raping Ex-Fiancée At Surrey Hotel

James Cartwright, 61, has been found guilty of raping and murdering his ex-fiancée, Samantha Mickleburgh, 54, at the luxury Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot. Samantha, a mother of two from Axminster, Devon, had accompanied Cartwright for his 60th birthday as a final act of kindness, but was fatally strangled and suffered a fractured skull during the night. Cartwright claimed to emergency responders that Samantha had fallen, but forensic evidence revealed strangulation and severe injuries inconsistent with an accident. The jury acquitted Cartwright of controlling and coercive behavior, despite evidence of obsessive and possessive actions following the relationship's end. Samantha’s family expressed relief at the verdict, emphasizing her kindness and the closure justice provides, while lamenting the profound loss. Cartwright will be sentenced on August 8 and remains in custody awaiting sentencing.