Court hears how Sally Anne Bowman was stabbed and bitten all over her body
By Adrian Shaw6/02/2008
Sally Anne Bowman (Pic:PA)
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(What's this?)Teenage model Sally Anne Bowman was butchered to death in a sex attack of appalling savagery, a stunned court heard yesterday.
Drug and drink-crazed chef Mark Dixie stabbed the 18-year-old seven times in the neck and stomach as she bravely tried to fight him off, it was claimed.
Three stab wounds were so savage they passed clean through her body.
Horrific bite marks were also found on Sally Anne's cheek, neck and right nipple, said prosecutor Brian Altman.
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In a final horror, it was claimed, father of three Dixie, 37, admitted having sex with Sally Anne as she lay dead outside her home.
But he denied being her killer claiming instead that he had "taken advantage of the situation" after stumbling across her bloodied body.
Mr Altman ridiculed the chef's defence as a smokescreen "born of desperation".
Dna evidence proved beyond doubt that the chef had sex with her, he told the Old Bailey jury.
As Sally Anne's mother Linda, father Paul and two of her three sisters listened from the public gallery, Mr Altman said: "Her killer murdered her for sexual gratification.
"The evidence demonstrates she had been sexually violated while she lay dead or dying from the stab wounds.
"So what does the defendant have to say about this?
"He confesses he had sex with Sally Anne after her death. But he denies that he is the killer.
"He said he was under the influence of drink and drugs when he chanced upon her body, taking advantage of the situation presented to him.
"He claims someone else stabbed her to death leaving her in a pool of blood, and that having been left in that state he had sex with her."
After claiming Dixie "performed other indignities" upon the corpse, Mr Altman told the jury: "That, astonishingly, is his defence to murder.
"It is, you may conclude, born of desperation for all the obvious reasons.
"There isn't a single grain of truth in it and you may think he knows it."
Judge Gerald Gordon said that what Dixie had allegedly admitted "would be regarded as revolting almost beyond belief".
But he warned the jury to try the case "coolly, calmly and without emotion."
After the attack in South Croydon, Surrey, Dixie allegedly returned to his flat where he was seen calmly watching TV later that morning.
He was arrested nine months later. Asked if he had any physical or mental problems, he allegedly replied: "I must be mental to do something like that, eh?"
Mr Altman said police recovered a digital camera. It showed film of an unidentified man performing a sex act over a newspaper picture of Sally Anne. Semen was allegedly found on a newspaper picture of Sally Anne said to have been left behind by Dixie.
When analysed it provided a full DNA match with the chef, it was claimed.
Mr Altman said: "He was reliving not just the sexual acts and other indignities that he had performed on her body, but killing her."
Beautiful Sally Anne had attracted the attention of model agencies and worked at various hairdressing salons.
She dreamed of being on the front cover of Vogue magazine and was "opinionated and kind-hearted".
On the night of September 24, 2005, dressed in a blue denim skirt and white crop top she visited a pub in Croydon with one of her sisters.
Mr Altman said: "The last thing she said to her mum was 'Love you, thanks for letting me stay'.
"She promised to text her to inform her if her sister was dropping her off home. Linda never received a text."
Sally Anne persuaded boyfriend Lewis Sproston to come over from Kingston and drive her home to her flat in Blenheim Crescent at about 4am. Outside the flat the couple had a row, each accusing the other of having affairs.
Mr Altman said Lewis thought someone was watching them in the street and at one stage "looked angrily" into the car.
The row ended with Sally Anne leaving the car and Lewis driving away.
At 4.20am, a neighbour heard screaming. At 6.30am a woman looked across the road and saw Sally Anne's legs, the court was told.
Mr Altman warned the jury he could not "spare" them seeing pictures of Sally Anne's body. They were "horrific, grim and graphic".
He said: "While they are shocking they are not designed to shock but to inform.
"It is not done to distress you, far less to prejudice you against this defendant.
"The details are highly relevant to the defence case."
The night of Sally Anne's murder was the night after Dixie's 35th birthday.
Mr Altman said the chef and friends Vicky Chandler and Diane Glassborough went to a pub in Croydon where Dixie drank and had two lines of cocaine.
The trio went back to Ms Chandler's flat near Blenheim Crescent where Dixie allegedly had two more lines of cocaine.
Mr Altman said the women went to bed at 2.30am leaving Dixie on the sofa.
They woke at 10.30am to find him watching TV.
Mr Altman said Dixie, born in Streatham, South London, moved to Australia between 1993 and 1999 with Sandra Beckhouse with whom he had two sons.
He returned to England working in pubs and restaurants in and around Croydon.
His latest partner was Stacey Nivet. Although they had a son he left her to work in a sports bar in Amsterdam.
Mr Altman said Dixie then returned to England and had an on-off relationship with Stacey who described their sex life as "normal." Justice has now been done for this Angel may now her spirit rest in peace, This case really got to me as i live in the croydon area and my heart and thoughts are with the family ive no comment about this monster who stole her life is such a terrible way. RIP Beautiful xxxxxxxx

OMFG! i only just saw this now, ewwww! this is effing sick!
this world really has gone to hell, ppl like him are neither human, nor animal, as even animals do not act this evil and debased :/
this is a complete lack of any natural humanity..

I dont think any really wants to bother replying to this post.