A jealous man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her new partner to death outside the shop where they worked after researching methods of killing has been jailed for life and will spend more than 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Andrew Saunders, a talented 21-year-old American football player, ambushed Zoe Morgan, 21, and Lee Simmons, 33, outside the Matalan store in central Cardiff where they both worked.
Telling him he would serve at least 23 years and four months before he could be considered for release, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies described the murders as “savage and senseless” and said there was a “significant degree of planning” in the double killing.
She told Saunders, a student and hotel receptionist: “You robbed the families of Lee Simmons and Zoe Morgan of a much-loved son and a much-loved daughter.”
The judge added: “They had their whole lives ahead of them. In a sustained and brutal attack, you ended those lives and took away the futures of Zoe Morgan and Lee Simmons.”
Saunders, from Newport in south Wales, thanked the judge as he was taken down to the cells at Cardiff crown court and apologised to the families in the public gallery.
In a victim impact statement, Morgan’s mother, Julie, said: “I think about her constantly and how she must have suffered. She was a beautiful, bright and hard-working girl.”
Simmons’s father, Alfred, said: “Lee found love in Zoe and I’m so happy for that. I can’t look at the photographs I have of Lee as a child, it hurts too much.”
The judge was provided with a psychiatrist’s report that concluded Saunders was depressed at the time and may have been affected by a mental illness called adjustment disorder.
When he was arrested he told police he was sorry but had snapped. “Your head is a weird thing,” he added. A school teacher described him as a “gentle giant” and he had no previous convictions or cautions. He was due to go to college in Canada on an American football scholarship.
The court heard that Saunders and Morgan had been in a two-year relationship but he was controlling and violent. Morgan broke up with him last July and began dating her colleague Simmons.
The couple were waiting outside the store on Queen Street shortly before 6am on 28 September when Saunders appeared.
He stabbed Simmons, who worked in the warehouse, with an 8-inch (20cm) knife. Morgan tried to pull Saunders away but he told her to get off before warning her: “I’m coming for you next.”
Morgan, who worked as a window dresser, ran away after Simmons collapsed, but Saunders caught up with her. He took a second knife, measuring 10 inches, from his rucksack and stabbed her. Both victims had eight stab wounds. In total Simmons suffered 40 injuries and Morgan 32.
When Morgan told Saunders their relationship was over, he accused her of cheating on him, adding: “I will kill whoever it is.”
The court heard that when he found out she was dating Simmons, Saunders contacted him on Facebook, saying that he would kill him. He sent abusive messages to his former girlfriend and also told her: “I love you still.”
In the weeks leading up to the murders, Saunders searched online for “the easiest way to kill a person”, “how many years for killing a person”, “16 steps to kill someone and not get caught” and “how long do murderers serve in prison”.
A week beforehand, Saunders searched “Is it as easy to slice someone’s throat as they make it look in movies and TV shows”. He also searched for “how to blow up a car without being caught” and “how can a car be rigged to explode when started”.
He purchased an air rifle and 500 pellets. Saunders also bought two knives and latex gloves from a supermarket. These were used in the attack.
After the killings he texted his father: “Thanks for being a pathetic, useless father. Just killed two people. Cheers.”
Outside court, Kelly Huggins, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a brutal, unprovoked and premeditated attack. Saunders attended the location well before Zoe Morgan and Lee Simmons arrived 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.”
Zoe Morgan’s parents Julie and Mark, described her killer Andrew Saunders as “evil”. They said: “No matter how long this evil individual gets in prison, it will make no difference to the life sentence that we have until we die.
“We are all totally heartbroken and will miss our beautiful intelligent girl for the rest of our lives. We have had a life sentence put on us by this horrible individual. Zoe and her partner Lee could have had a bright and happy future together and will miss out on so much.”
A statement from Simmons’s family 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.”
They thanked Saunders’ family for the help they gave police. “It has not only had a massive impact upon ours and Zoe’s family but we believe also Andrew Saunders’ family. We will never be able to forgive him for selfishly taking Lee away from us but we would like to thank his family for fully co-operating with the police in helping to secure his speedy arrest and conviction.”
