A British man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his wife and cutting up her body into more than 200 pieces before having them dumped into a river.

Nicholas Metson, 28, admitted to the act and was given a minimum sentence of 19 years and 316 days at Lincoln Crown Court on April 8. His accomplice Joshua Hancock, also faced justice with a three-year and three-month prison term for assisting in the disposal of the victim’s remains. Additionally, Hancock was issued a sexual harm prevention order for a decade.

The family members of Metson’s wife, Ms Holly Bramley, referring to him as an “evil monster”, spoke to the BBC outside the court. While acknowledging the sentencing as a significant step in their healing process, they said it was “by no means closure”.

During the trial, it was revealed that Metson, on March 17, 2023, stabbed his 26-year-old wife multiple times before dismembering her body. Her remains were kept in the kitchen larder for almost a week before they were discarded in the River Witham in Bassingham, the court heard. Police divers found a total of 224 pieces of Ms Bramley’s remains, but some of her body parts are still missing.

The court learnt that the couple, who had met in 2016 and married in 2021, were on the brink of separation at the time of the incident.

Metson’s actions were condemned by the judge, who highlighted the unnecessary brutality of the crime. Despite Metson’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, the judge deemed his behaviour inexcusable and emphasised the continued suffering inflicted upon Ms Bramley’s loved ones due to the lack of “any adequate explanation” and closure.

While sentencing Metson, Judge Simon Hirst told him: “The cause of death cannot be established given how you treated Holly’s body after you killed her.”

He added: “The fact that some parts of Holly remain missing, I consider it to be an extremely aggravating factor.”

It was also disclosed that Metson had told “a pack of lies” to mislead the police when they went to the couple’s flat on March 24, 2023, after a report of concern regarding Ms Bramley’s well-being was filed.

Metson paid Hancock, his school friend, £100 (S$170) for his assistance in disposing of Ms Bramley’s remains. The judge said that in the days after the killing, Metson had done internet searches on “how to dispose of a dead body” and contacted Ms Bramley’s family and friends on her phone and social media accounts “confessing she had treated (him) badly”.

Following the sentencing, Ms Bramley’s family members described her as a kind and caring individual. They said: “Sadly, meeting the man who cruelly took her life was just the beginning of a rocky road for Holly as she embarked on a life of domestic abuse and, despite our trying, as a family, we never managed to save her from that.”

They urged those experiencing similar situations to seek support, emphasising the importance of recognising and addressing domestic abuse.

Metson’s prior convictions for offences against partners in 2013, 2016 and 2017 underscored a pattern of violent behaviour, further emphasising the gravity of the crime.

Ms Bramley’s sister, Ms Sarah-Jayne Lindop, said “justice has finally been served”.