Killer smothered his partner after he was released from Broadmoor secure hospital

Ralph Fairman, who has a history of violence, callously phoned his daughter to ask how to hide a body after suffocating her mother in a sustained and brutal attack.

“I need a cleaner,” he told his daughter.

The former skinhead fled the house in the tiny village of Maresfield before police found the body of his partner Samantha Toms, 47, in an upstairs bedroom.

Missing

Traffic cops pulled him over on the A22 after spotting the Mini Cooper he was using, which was missing from the driveway of the house near Uckfield.

Fairman, 51, originally from London, who now has a long beard, sat in an armchair with his fingers laced as he appeared at Hove Crown Court by video link from Broadmoor.

He spoke only to confirm his name before the court heard he was a highly dangerous, violent and aggressive racist and homophobe with a history of domestic violence, attacking strangers and mental illness.

Violent

His violent attacks only grew worse when he was mentally ill, psychiatrists who assessed him said.

His Honour Judge Jeremy Gold QC told Fairman he will serve a life sentence, with a minimum of nine years, if he is ever passed fit by doctors at Broadmoor.

The hybrid sentence means if doctors pass Fairman fit, he will serve at least what remains of the minimum nine years of his life sentence in prison.

He will not be eligible for parole for at least the nine year minimum and will have to convince a board before he could be released.

Former labourer Fairman had attempted to strangle Samantha Toms and another girlfriend before killing her, the court heard.

Their daughter, Charlotte, was only 16 when she hauled her dad off her mother by the collar.

The couple split in 2008 and Fairman attacked another woman he was in a relationship with while he was separated from Ms Toms.

Paranoid

Fairman was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2009.

He was jailed in 2016 after attacking strangers at random and trying to steal vehicles.

He tried to strangle Samantha Toms again in 2017 after stopping his medication.

She decided not to support a prosecution.

Fairman was jailed again in November 2017 after attacking strangers during a visit to his GP.

He was transferred to Broadmoor from prison before being released in February last year.

The court heard in desperation medication was hand delivered through his letter box after he refused to engage with psychiatric or probation services.

Concerned

Samantha Toms, who worked as a carer, was so concerned she contacted psychiatric staff the day before she died.

They assured her Fairman would be assessed on July 5, the day he killed her.

On July 3, 2018 she sent a text to daughter saying Fairman had not been taking his medication and had gone cranky again.

“He hasn’t been taking his meds.

“This has happened twice before.

“He thinks I’m poisoning him,” Ms Toms wrote to her daughter.

Phoned

At 12.40am on July 5, Fairman phoned his daughter.

She said he sounded out of breath and he told her he had just got rid of a problem.

“I got rid of her.

“I need a cleaner.

“To help me hide the body,” Fairman told his daughter.

“She’s not breathing, I killed her,” he said.

Stopped

Police found the body at 7.32am and at about 8am, Fairman was stopped by traffic police.

He gave his name as Bob and police were immediately concerned for his mental health.

Fairman had been referred to Broadmoor twice while serving earlier prison sentences before he killed Samantha Toms.

He had been released from the maximum security hospital, which has held Britain’s most notorious killers, less than six months before killing his partner.

Referred

The court heard he had been referred to Broadmoor during while serving 26 weeks for attacking strangers during a doctor’s appointment.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility in December last year.

Judge Gold QC described the death of Ms Toms as tragic.

The judge said there were well documented accounts of violence towards his partners as well as other inmates and staff.

Fairman made no attempt to get help for his victim, the judge said.

“The phone call to his daughter showed a callous unconcern for the deceased.

Violence

“He is now and will remain at risk of committing serious or fatal acts of violence,” the judge said.

He told Fairman: “You are sentenced to life with a minimum of nine years.

“Instead of being detained in prison, you will be detained in Broadmoor without limit of time.

“You will be in hospital for as long as necessary.

“That’s all Mr Fairman.”

DI Simon Dunn of Sussex Police said: “It is significant that he refused to take his medications and it was not just domestic violence.

“He did not engage with the probation or psychiatric services, which is why the hybrid order was the most appropriate.

“Sam was a loving mum and this has been a tragic case to investigate.

“I hope Fairman’s sentence means the family can begin to rebuild their lives and grieve properly. He is a very violent man.”

Samantha Toms’ sister Jennie Starr said: “For us, the manner of her death has been devastating and we are all damaged by that.

“Sam had a wicked sense of humour, she was very witty and added plenty of laughs to our family occasions.

“She loved animals, history, quizzes and socialising. She was also very tolerant, non-judgemental and always sympathised with the underdog. She was very popular where she worked as a carer. These positive attributes of Sam and the way she touched all our lives as a family are how we are remembering her.”