Life in jail for woman who murdered lover and hid him in bin

Monday, November 12, 2012
10:44 AM

A woman who killed her boyfriend before concealing his body in a wheelie bin in her bedroom in Forest Hill has been jailed for life.

Karen Otmani, 42, was told at the Old Bailey today she would have to serve a minimum term of 17 years.

Otmani was found guilty on Friday of murdering Shaun Corey, also 42.

The court heard that, after doping his beer, Otmani tied him to her bed at her home in Stanstead Road before placing a plastic bag over his head on June 4 last year.

She then hid his body in the green bin for 11 days before a police search revealed what she had done. Prosecutors said Otmani said her freezer was too small to hide the body.

Otmani had been talking about getting rid of her on-off lover and had even asked another boyfriend to experiment with some blue liquid to see if it would knock him out.

She put him into the bin with the help of her friend, Bernard Beddoe, laid it on its side, and covered it up.

Mr Corey was heard arguing with Otmani in her bedroom before they were joined by Beddoe, 60, whom she called Uncle.

New boyfriend Keith Jones rang police after visiting the flat and being told “He’s in there”.

The court heard that Otmani told officers: “I killed him. He freaked me out and I killed him.”

Judge Gerald Gordon told Otmani: “For reasons best known to yourself, you formed the intention to kill your on-off partner.

“You concealed his body for a significant period, causing extra suffering for his family.”

Mother-of-two Otmani showed no emotion but thanked the judge after she was sentenced.

Beddoe, of Brockley, south London, was found guilty of assisting an offender and was remanded for reports to December 7.