Mum believed beaten and tortured before being found decomposed in child's bed

03 February 2023 , 13:50

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Shakira Spencer, pictured in 2007 (Image: PA)

A woman found decomposed in her flat by police was allegedly detained, beaten and tortured.

Shakira Spencer, 35, was found by police at her home in Ealing, west London, on September 25.

Police were alerted to the property after a neighbour reported a bad smell coming from her flat.

Shakira could only be identified through her dental records and a post-mortem examination of her body could not find a cause of death, a previous inquest told. It is alleged she was tortured over a number of days before returning home.

At a hearing at the Old Bailey in London today, Lisa Richardson, 43, denied murdering Shakira and preventing a lawful burial.

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Pregnant co-defendant, Ashana Studholme, 37, appeared at a previous hearing and has also denied the charges. Both women remain in custody.

Shakira Spencer, pictured in 2022 (PA)

A 25-year-old named as Shaun Pendlebury is due to enter his pleas on March 24.

Prosecutor Ben Holt had previously told the court that Shakira was tortured and then returned to her home address.

Her body was discovered lying on her child's bunk.

A trial date has been scheduled for September 4.

All three were arrested the day after Shakira was discovered.

Shakira was last seen on September 12, 2022 and a neighbour said they were concerned she had lost a significant amount of weight in the months leading up to her passing.

Holbeck Road, Hanwell (google)

After she died, an inquest was opened in West London Coroner's Court by Dr Anton van Dellen in October.

At the inquest opening, the coroner read from the post-mortem report: "There is sufficient quantity and quality of evidence to make a positive dental identification it can thus be concluded that the decomposed body examined at Fulham public mortuary is that of Ms Shakira Spencer, date of birth June 13, 1987."

On finding Shakira's body, Met Police Detective Inspector James Massey said: "On September 25, 2022, at approximately 5pm, police were called to her home address [following] concerns by a neighbour who had not seen Shakira for at least two weeks and there was a concerning smell coming from the address.

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"Police attended that evening and forced entry and Shakira was found deceased, heavily decomposed, on a bottom bunkbed of the address."

Benjamin Lynch