Jealous killer, 21, jailed for life over Matalan murders of ex-girlfriend and new partner

A killer who stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her new partner to death outside the shop where they worked has been jailed for at least 23 years.

Andrew Saunders, 21, ambushed Matalan employees Zoe Morgan, 21, and Lee Simmons, 33, as they arrived for work at the fashion chain's store in Queen Street, Cardiff on September 28.

He bought knives and latex gloves in the days leading up to the double murder and used Google to search for topics including "the easiest way to kill a person" and "how long do murderers serve in prison".

His final web searches were "how to slice a neck" and "how to smoke a cigar".

Saunders used two knives to murder Mr Simmons and Miss Morgan, inflicting eight stab wounds on each of the victims.

Mrs Justice Nicola Davies jailed Saunders, of no fixed address, for life and ordered him to serve a minimum of 23 years and four months in prison.

The judge told the hotel receptionist: "In a sustained and brutal attack you ended these lives.

"You took away the futures of Lee Simmons and Zoe Morgan.

"You robbed the families of Lee Simmons and Zoe Morgan of a much loved son and a much loved daughter.

"The effect on each family has been devastating."

Saunders admitted both murders at a hearing in December 2016. 

The court heard Miss Morgan and Saunders were in a relationship between June 2014 until July 2015. By the June of that year they got back together but neither told their families.

In 2016, when Saunders was studying accountancy at college and Miss Morgan was working at Matalan, she met Mr Simmons.

They began dating in July 2016 and Miss Morgan told Saunders their relationship was not working, the court heard

When Miss Morgan told Saunders their relationship was over, he accused her of cheating and said: "I will kill whoever it is."

He began searching for revenge online and, days later, sent Miss Morgan a photograph of the back of her house.

The aspiring sportsman told Miss Morgan that he had threatened to kill Mr Simmons on Facebook and "smash his head in".

Mrs Justice Davies said: "Your mother describes you as having struggled to come to terms with the breakup of your relationship with Zoe.

"Following the split in July 2015 she states that you have been in and out of depression, although you never sought medical attention.

"She described how when you were down or depressed you would stay awake all night and she would hear you.

"At a weekend in mid-September 2016, she spoke to you at 2am in the morning. Your were upset about Zoe. You spoke to her about ending your life because you felt you had nothing to live for."

Mrs Justice Davies said Saunders began plotting the murders at around this time on September 17 when he began Googling a number of subjects including 'the easiest way to kill a person'.

The court heard on September 20, Saunders went to Morrisons in Cardiff and bought two knives that were the same make and type as used in the attack. He also bought latex gloves.

Justice Davies said: "Zoe was on holiday, your phone records flight arrival times and notes on the licence plate of a car parked in Queen Street.

"The latter were efforts by you to identify Lee Simmons's car. The next day you used a search engine to find out how to blow up a car without getting caught."

Saunders was spotted walking up and down Queen Street in the early hours of the morning on September 25 and 27. He bought an air rifle and 500 pellets on September 27.

Justice Davies said he "must have known" that Miss Morgan started her shift at Matalan by 6am.

She said: "In the early hours of September 28 you searched YouTube for 'motivation for killing' and 'motivation for revenge'.

"Before you left home you wrote letters... all of which demonstrate an intention to take your own life."

In one of the letters Saunders wrote: "I have struggled with life for a while now and I could not deal with it any longer, sorry."

He also wrote: "I think Isis is the good guys most of the time and that is just messed up. No-one will forget me."

Saunders left his family home at 4.41am and at 5.30am was seen near phone boxes near Matalan. Fifteen minutes later he headed towards the store.

Miss Morgan was waiting outside the shop with Mr Simmons, who was not working that day but had accompanied her to work.

Justice Davies said: "From out of nowhere you appeared and began the savage attack on Lee Simmons."

Saunders took an eight-inch knife from his rucksack stabbed Mr Simmons with it before using the larger 10-inch knife when the smaller one appeared to break.

When Miss Morgan tried to pull him off Mr Simmons, Saunders told her to get off and warned her: "I'm coming for you next".

He chased his ex-girlfriend and attacked her with a second knife, then left the scene.

Both Miss Morgan and Mr Simmons had suffered eight stab wounds and died a short time later.

Justice Davies said in total they suffered 32 and 14 injuries each, respectively. 

Saunders was arrested at his family home near Newport after 6.30am. He later pleaded guilty to two charges of murder.

After Saunders was taken down to the cells in custody, Justice Davies said: "To the families of Lee Simmons and Zoe Morgan I know that for each of you life will never be the same again.

"The rawness of your grief and the intensity of your loss may ease but without warning those feelings may return.

"To each of you I offer my deepest condolences and my thanks for the courage and dignity you have shown during what must have been very difficult proceedings."

In victim impact statements read to the court, the families of Miss Morgan and Mr Simmons paid tribute to them.

Miss Morgan's mother, Julie, described her as "beautiful, bright, fun and hard-working".

"I think about her constantly and how she must have suffered at the hands of Andrew Saunders," Mrs Morgan said.

"Andrew Saunders has not only taken Zoe from us, but he has destroyed all of our lives."

Alfred Simmons said his son was well-respected and loved by many, "most of all by Zoe in the end".

"I had only one child and I cannot bring back what is gone," he said.

"I have my son's ashes at home ready to be buried with me when the time comes."

After the hearing Kelly Huggins, from the CPS, described the murders as "brutal, unprovoked and premeditated".

She said: "Saunders attended the location well before Zoe Morgan and Lee Simmons arrived for work that day and ambushed them. As he brutally attacked them he also showed no concern for members of the public who were subjected to a frightening scene of violence."

In a statement released following the sentencing, Miss Morgan's family said the whole family had a "life sentence" from her murder.

"We are all totally broken-hearted and will miss our beautiful, intelligent girl for the rest of our lives," they said.

"We have had a life sentence put on us by the horrible individual.

"Zoe and her partner Lee could have had a bright and happy future together and will miss out on so much.

"What right did Andrew Saunders have to take this away from us?

"I hope that every day Saunders is thinking about what he has done to us and what he has done to our beautiful daughter."

The family of Mr Simmons said no sentence or punishment "will ever compensate for the loss of Lee's life".

"The whole family has been left devastated by this horrific and unprovoked crime - we have been deeply shocked by the brutality of it," they said.

"Lee had met the love of his life in Zoe, he could not have been happier.

"He was the most gentle and caring young man who gave his all to everybody, you could not have wished to meet a more kind and thoughtful person."

The family said the lives of those who witnessed the attack would never be the same again.

"The nightmare will live with us all forever," they added.

"It is beyond our understanding as to why Andrew Saunders carried out such an evil, calculated act."

Detective Inspector Mark O'Shea, of South Wales Police, said: "Andrew Saunders has rightly been sentenced today to a lengthy term of imprisonment for his brutal and callous murders.

"He is a cold, calculating killer who planned this crime over a number of weeks.

"He brutally killed those two wonderful young people out of an immature jealousy that cannot be explained or understood by any right-thinking person.

"He has offered no mitigation and displayed no remorse. He is a truly despicable man.

"He deserves to spend the majority of his life in prison where he will hopefully have time to reflect on the gravity of his offences."