Court hears hotel manager’s testimony of ‘insincere’ behaviour as James Cartwright stands trial for rape and murder of Samantha Mickleburgh
A man accused of murdering his ex-fiancée at a luxury Surrey hotel physically waved goodbye to the ambulance carrying her body and appeared to cry without producing tears, a court heard on Monday.
James Cartwright, 61, of no fixed address, is standing trial at Guildford Crown Court accused of raping and murdering Samantha Mickleburgh, 54, between 12 and 14 April last year at the five-star Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot. He also denies one count of controlling and coercive behaviour between May 2022 and April 2024.
The mother of two from Axminster, Devon, had arranged to stay in a twin room with Cartwright to celebrate his birthday because she “didn’t want him to feel lonely,” prosecutor Louise Oakley told jurors. The court previously heard Ms Mickleburgh had ended their relationship in February 2024 but agreed to the hotel stay.
‘Completely Naked and Screaming’
James Pettitt, guest relations manager at the luxury hotel, told the court he and ambulance crew found Cartwright “completely naked” and screaming in a “loud and exaggerated” way when they entered the room on the morning of 14 April. Ms Mickleburgh was lying face up on the bed with dry blood around her nose.
“There was lots of heavy breathing and panting. It was just very loud, very focused on himself,” Mr Pettitt testified. He followed us around the hotel, behind Samantha. He was just sniffling. It didn’t appear sincere.”
The hotel manager said he watched as paramedics moved Ms Mickleburgh from the bed to the floor but decided not to begin CPR because it was apparent she “had been dead a long time.” Her body was then placed in a mortuary bag and carried to the ambulance.
In extraordinary testimony, Mr Pettitt described how Cartwright followed the bag and began “feeling” it near where he assumed the head was positioned. “He bent over, kissed the bag, kissed his fingers and went ‘bye-bye’,” the witness told jurors.
When prosecutor Louise Oakley asked: “He physically waved the ambulance goodbye?” Mr Pettitt replied: “Yes – until the vehicle had left the premises.”
Jewellery Seized From Handbag
After Ms Mickleburgh’s body was taken away, Cartwright returned to the room and went through her handbag, retrieving a car key and what Mr Pettitt described as “a diamond bracelet or necklace.” Upon seizing the jewellery, Cartwright reportedly told the hotel manager: “I’ll take care of that.
When asked about Cartwright’s explanation for what happened, Mr Pettitt said the accused claimed Ms Mickleburgh had rolled out of bed during the night and hit her head on the bedside table, causing a nosebleed. “He supposedly woke up to the sound of Samantha rolling out of bed and he helped her back on to the bed,” Mr Pettitt testified.
“I was informed that he pinched her nose to stop the bleeding and that no first aid was required,” he added.
Victim Fell Asleep at Michelin-Starred Dinner
Earlier testimony revealed the couple had dined at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Latymer restaurant on the evening of 13 April, where they had booked a six-course tasting menu. However, they left abruptly mid-meal after Ms Mickleburgh began falling asleep at the dinner table.
Restaurant staff noticed she “looked more and more sleepy and at points her eyes were closed and she looked like she was sleeping,” Ms Oakley told the court. The pair left the restaurant at around 10:30pm and were captured on CCTV walking back to their room.
This is the last time Samantha Mickleburgh was seen alive,” the prosecutor said.
History of Control and Coercion
The court heard that following their February breakup, Cartwright had continued to pursue Ms Mickleburgh, attending her address “unexpectedly and uninvited” and “bombarding her” with messages and calls. Ms Oakley told jurors that Ms Mickleburgh had intended to tell Cartwright at the birthday dinner that “this was the last time they would see each other.”
“Is this what caused James Cartwright’s explosion of violence? He had started to lose control of his relationship with Samantha because of his own controlling and coercive ways,” the prosecutor suggested.
Cartwright told Surrey Police following his arrest on 19 April that Ms Mickleburgh had become unwell during dinner but “perked up” on the way back to their room. He claimed they had consensual sex before “falling asleep in each other’s arms,” the prosecution said.
Luxury Hotel Setting
Pennyhill Park Hotel, set in 123 acres of Surrey parkland, is one of the county’s most exclusive destinations, featuring 124 luxury bedrooms, an award-winning spa with eight pools, and fine dining restaurants. The 19th-century manor house hotel regularly hosts celebrities and sports teams, including England’s national rugby squad.
The Latymer restaurant, where the couple’s final meal took place, holds a Michelin star and charges £110 per person for its tasting menu. The hotel’s spa is frequently cited as one of Europe’s largest and most luxurious.
Ms Mickleburgh’s family previously described her as an “incredible mother and much cherished daughter and friend.” The trial, expected to last several weeks, continues.
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