Joseph Greer, 40, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years for the brutal hammer murder of 54-year-old Samantha Lee, a mother-of-three from Coventry. The sentence was handed down at the High Court in Dundee on Friday, August 7, after Greer admitted to the murder and a separate assault charge.
Attack and confession
Greer attacked Ms Lee at his home on Bedford Road in Aberdeen between January 1 and January 4, 2026, despite a court order banning him from approaching her. After the attack, Greer confessed to an acquaintance, saying, "Samantha is dead, she is in the kitchen," which prompted the acquaintance to alert police.
The court heard that Ms Lee suffered "catastrophic" head injuries from repeated blows with a claw hammer. She was last seen alive on January 1, and her body was discovered on January 4.
Sentencing remarks
Sentencing, Lord Renucci condemned the attack, stating: "Notwithstanding the fact that you have accepted responsibility for her murder, you claim to have no recollection of it. As a result, it has been left to the forensic scientists and the pathologists to put the pieces together and provide us with some idea of the extent of your actions."
He detailed the forensic evidence: "At some point between January 1, 2026, when Ms Lee was last seen alive, and the discovery of her body on January 4, 2026, you took hold of her and repeatedly struck her on the head and body with a claw hammer or similar type implement whereby she fell to the floor and, as in the previous assault in charge one, that assault continued whilst she was lying defenceless on the ground, this time leaving her with catastrophic head injuries from which she died."
Lord Renucci added: "In inflicting those injuries, you deprived three adult children of their much-loved mother."
Previous assault
Greer had previously been granted bail with special conditions following an assault in October 2025, which prohibited him from approaching or contacting Ms Lee. In that incident, he repeatedly struck her with a telephone handset on a street in Aberdeen, an attack Lord Renucci described as a "prolonged, sustained and vicious attack."
Despite these restrictions, Greer went on to commit the murder. The court heard that Greer, originally from Coventry, had a toxic relationship with alcohol and suffered from low mood, feeling he was losing control of his life.
Defence and family impact
Tony Lenehan KC, defending, said: "Exactly why he killed her, this rare positive in his life, he cannot articulate. The whole vat of his unhappiness ruptured in that assault on Ms Lee."
Ms Lee's family released a statement saying: "No verdict can ever bring her back or erase the pain, grief, and loss our family has experienced. Our mum was a loving, caring, and valued person whose life was taken from us far too soon. Her absence is felt every day, and the impact of this crime has changed our family forever."
Prosecution response
Laura Buchan, legal director at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: "Greer carried out a brutal and sustained attack on Samantha Lee before failing to raise the alarm. This is a tragic case where domestic abuse escalated to murder. Samantha was a much-loved mother, sister, auntie and nanny. Her family have lost someone who meant so much to them, and they have been deprived of years of precious memories together."
She added: "Samantha's death is a stark reminder of the devastating impact violence against women and girls can have. Scotland's prosecutors will continue to use every legal tool available to hold those responsible for domestic abuse to account."
Domestic abuse scourge
Lord Renucci highlighted the broader issue, saying: "Domestic abuse is a scourge on our society, and it is difficult to imagine a worse example than that exhibited by you towards Ms Lee."
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of domestic abuse and the need for strict enforcement of protective orders. Greer's life sentence ensures he will serve at least 22 years before being eligible for parole, reflecting the severity of his crimes.
