Sadie Hartley’s cheating partner breaks down over lewd texts they swapped days before her brutal murder
SADIE Hartley’s live-in partner Ian Johnston today broke down in tears over lewd messages he sent to her killer days before her murder.
The former fireman was still sexting his obsessive ex-girlfriend Sarah Williams, who today was found guilty of murdering Sadie by stabbing her more than 40 times.
Ski fanatic Johnston insisted HE was a victim of Williams’ despicable crime - and described his sexting as “naive” and “foolish”.
In an emotion-charged interview he was asked: “You must reflect Sadie would still be alive today if it weren’t for some texts you sent? Or the contact?”
He responded: “No. It’s not about the texts. It’s not about the texts. If I had met her in the first place.
“I don’t accept that sending texts is a reason for slaughtering somebody. If I’d never met her, absolutely. Would that change my behaviour in the future? I’d never meet anybody.
“She planned this for 18 months. These texts were incidental to that plan.
“I couldn’t for one minute believe...Yes I absolutely, the remorse I feel, the abject horror of what’s happened and the consequences of me meeting her, I just will regret that forever.”
A distraught Johnston, 57, insisted he was not to blame for Sadie's death - as it emerged he has been completely shunned by her anguished family.
He, admitted he has had “no contact” since “the minute they found out she was dead.”
Johnston shared a £500,000 home in a remote Lancashire village with 60-year-old businesswoman Sadie.
Counsel at Preston Crown Court suggested Mr Johnston had been “leading on” 35-year-old Williams by texting her.
Ten days before the murder they exchanged explicit photos and Johnston texted: "I would lasso your bobble."
Williams texted: "Do you want to talk about anything? I promise you can talk to me about anything in the world. Please don’t be stressed out. Sending you massive cuddles."
They discussed meeting up once he has returned from a ski trip to Switzerland.
Then just four days before the killing on January 10, Johnston texted from from Switzerland texts: "All going well and we’ve had snow".
Williams replied: "Glad to hear…sending you a great big cuddle to keep you warm".
But today Johnston insisted: “I don’t accept that sending texts is a reason for slaughtering somebody.”
And he broke down in tears as he whinged: “I’ve lost everything. I was given a day to get all my stuff out of the house. Can you imagine?...
“This eight months has just been the most horrendous, you just get a kicking every day and I want the kicking to stop now - and I know it won’t for a while.
“And if anybody wants to blame that on a few ridiculous, bloody texts - then it’s just outrageous.”
Asked whether Sadie’s family blamed him for her death, he replied: “You would have to ask them.”
"I found out I’m not in the will when the juror asked the question, ‘Was I in the will?’”
Sadie’s daughter Charlotte, 23, refused point-blank to discuss her feelings towards Mr Johnston.
She said: “I have nothing to say about Ian.”
But Johnston continues to feel aggrieved by his treatment over the last eight months and added: “I get the opinion that by engaging in these texts that people might feel that I’m culpable.
“I just think that’s a very, very hard judgement on me.
“You know to go from a few texts from somebody who purports to want to be with me, to then go to a savage attack. I could understand a row gone wrong, but 18 months of planning for 40 odd knife wounds and I’m supposed to accept a few texts led to that.
“I just, I don’t accept that that could or should be the reason.”
Johnston was quizzed about whether he felt responsibility for Sadie’s death.
He replied: “There’s obvious responsibility because in it’s simplest terms if I’d never met Sarah Williams, she wouldn’t have been put in this position where she’s gone ahead and murdered Sadie...I absolutely wish I’d never, ever met her.”
Johnston - who was not named in Sadie’s will - told how he had been ostracised by her children Charlotte and Harry.
He said: “These kids Harry and Charlotte, God knows what they’ve gone through, I’m going through enough and this is their mother, they’ve lost absolutely every aspect of their life has been stolen from them.
“Through no fault of their own.
“The night after Charlotte got engaged, Williams murdered Sadie. The night after. How on earth do you come to terms with that?
“So if there’s any horror in this, that’s where my horror lies is that, and when the family have done what they’ve done, there is a degree of me of understanding.
“Do I accept it? No I do not, but there is understanding.”
“I can only give you my perspective and my perspective is, I’ve had no contact with them. And Sadie had said she would make provision for me, because I sold my house, I’m not stupid enough at 56 to sell my house and open up the prospect of homelessness.
“And Sadie wanted me to sell my house as a commitment to us, which is what I did in August, September last year, and she said she would provide for me.
“And I’ve heard nothing since, although I guessed that I hadn’t been provided for and then for a juror to ask a question, ‘Was I in the will?’ And for Mr McDermott (barrister) to read back, ‘No I am not’ - that is the first official word I have ever had that I wasn’t provided for.”
Johnston insisted he had a “broad back” and would “survive”.
He added: “I think there’s a lot of blokes out there going, ‘But for the Grace of God go I’. Somebody said, you have hit the eight ball with this one mate, you should do the lottery today, because to end up like this off the back of that is just, chaos theory.”
Mountain rescue expert Mr Johnson branded his ex-lover Williams a “psycho” and said: “I absolutely wish I’d never met her.”
He added: “It’s just so bloody senseless. Everybody, everybody I know has lost something here.
And for some ridiculous reason that I’m supposed to be able to explain. And I can’t explain it.”
Sadie's best friend and business partner Julie Taylor revealed she had a telephone call from Ian just after he learnt of Sadie's death in which he was crying down the phone.
But she said by later that evening - less than 24 hours after he was given the news - he had gone into "fire chief mode” asking about Sadie's will and also stated he was now "homeless".
Twisted ski rep Sarah Williams knifed her love rival Sadie to death in an 'orgy of violence' after incapacitating her with a stun gun on the doorstep of her Lancashire home.
Today she was sentenced to life with a minimum of 30 years behind bars.
Williams’ accomplice Katrina Walsh was also found guilty of the murder of innocent Sadie.
She had bought the murder weapon, the stun gun, a tracking device and a getaway car for the night of the murder.
Walsh was also handed a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Passing sentence Mr Justice Turner said the stun gun and stabbing of "loving mother" Ms Hartley meant she was "slaughtered like an animal" adding: "Neither of you have shown the slightest remorse."
He told the pair: "Let no-one believe this was a crime of passion. It was a crime of obsession, of arrogance and of barbarity, but above all a crime of pure evil."
Neither defendant made any reaction as they were jailed, while Ms Hartley's family sat in the public gallery in silence as sentence was passed.
Williams, 35, carried out the sickening crime to fulfil her obsessive desire to be with Johnston.
She was previously in a relationship the ex fireman but it ended when he refused to leave Hartley.
During the six-week trial, Preston Crown Court heard how Williams drove to Hartley's home in Helmshore, Lancashire, on January 14 and incapacitated her with a 500,000-volt stun gun before knifing her to death with ‘demonic savagery’.
There were sighs of relief from public gallery as the verdict was announced.
Williams closed her eyes and Walsh nodded her head and then looked down.
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Walsh had detailed the plot "step-by-step" in her diaries which she led police to following her arrest, together with the various items she bought which she hid at her workplace.
Williams insisted she was ill in bed at the time of the killing and blamed the killings on Walsh.
Walsh, who did not give evidence, told police she thought she was participating in a game of the Channel 4 programme Hunted - in which teams of two try to go "off the grid" and avoid detection - and said she did not believe Williams was going to harm anyone.
But in his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor John McDermott QC said the defendants were "cold-blooded murderers" who were attempting to deceive them.
He said: "Sarah Williams spent four days in this court in front of you, cool, calm and collected and as matter of fact as she could pretend to be but the real Sarah Williams is a bitter, obsessive, arrogant woman who stops at nothing to get her own selfish way."
He added: "Determined, methodical killers, these two were in fact hunters, not hunted. They hunted down Sadie Hartley as you might stalk a deer and then went in for the kill.
"They have fallen out now and blame each other but the last time they were together was a picture of harmony on Katrina Walsh's bed humming along, perhaps, to Abba within hours of the dreadful news of Sadie Hartley's death."
Having previously failed to ruin tragic Sadie’s relationship by exposing their affair in a poison pen letter, Williams turned to her “murderous mission”.
Angered by his refusal to leave “decent and hardworking” Sadie she became consumed with hatred for her rival culminating in her bloody assassination.
It took the cold-blooded killer just four minutes and 40 seconds to murder the woman who stood in the way of her “dream life” with her ideal man.
Parking her car outside medical communications director Sadie’s £500k home in Helmshore, Lancs, she walked calmly to her door armed with the taser and knife before launching a ferocious attack leaving Sadie incapable of survival.
Just what provoked the ski holiday rep to commit such a callous killing, said the prosecution was an “infatuation” with Ian - who she described as “awesome” and had visions of marrying.
The self-confessed ‘She Devil’s’ tangled love life was laid bare at as the jury heard details of her relationships with a string of older men.
Despite being provided for by her married 75-year-old “sugar daddy” David Hardwick she was not content and had numerous affairs.
One was with ski instructor Somapat Sitiwatjana.
After beginning their affair in 2011, the pair would meet up for weekly sex sessions in a hotel behind his wife’s back.
She chose a to write her rival a five-page letter confessing the full extent of her year-long affair - and even claiming she was pregnant by him.
Her “psycho” behaviour attracted the attention of the police after she was thought to have slashed dad-of-two Somapat’s Mercedes tyres and bombarded him and his wife with unwanted texts and visits to their home.
It was just months after her harassment warning in September 2012 that Williams’ head was turned by another ski instructor called Andy Poole and for the Sitiwatjana’s their ordeal was over.
But even then her “crank” behaviour had attracted the attention of pals who she had regaled with tales of her bizarre affairs with married men.
During Williams’ fling with Somapat - known to friends as Master A - she shocked friend Kerry Williams by making stabbing gestures to her head when discussing his wife.
At the time married mum-of-three Kerry took the conversation with a “pinch of salt” - but her obsession with unavailable men only gathered pace when she first met dad-of-one Ian Johnston.
The telemark ski instructor was at the centre of her murder plot and their months of sex sessions in his Lancashire flat - along with a chain of explicit messages - left Williams determined to “eliminate” Sadie.
The 57-year-old claims he tried to end things with Williams once he and Sadie grew closer - but he was forced to admit he had been swapping sex-texts with the killer up to FOUR days before she struck.
The mountain rescuer denied that he had “led on” his younger “bit on the side” - despite admitting to sending pictures of his manhood to her.
But while he believed he was innocently engaging in the flirty exchanges Williams’s plan to remove Sadie all together was continuing with “brutal determination”.
The assassination was discussed in exchanges between Walsh and Williams in the run-up to the murder - with Walsh documenting how the murderous pair bought a stun gun from Germany, a knife from Tesco, and a ‘killer car’ in cash in order to carry out the “perfect murder.”
Ian, meanwhile, was to tell pals he was “being stalked” when gifts would arrive from his not-so-secret admirer.
But he was closer to the truth than he realised - and Williams had stepped up her ‘Glen Close’ routine and had begun following his every move with a tracking device.
She had failed to find out where her victim lived so with the device installed on her lover’s car she was able to pinpoint the location for her murderous aim.
Despite paying for the GPS tracker Walsh appeared to believe so long as she wasn’t involved “at the sharp end” she was free to help Williams in anyway she was asked.
CCTV, cell site technology and vehicle registration recognition indicated Williams made “reconnaissance missions” to Sadie and Ian’s home 56 miles away from her own.
Mum-of-two Sadie was unaware of the violence that was to come her way and even the “poison pen letter” detailing her partner Ian’s affair with Williams was no indication of what the level one ski instructor had in store for her.
Clearly at pains to avoid a confrontation with Williams the court heard how Sadie left a Chill Factore Christmas party early on December 2 after coming face-to-face with what would turn out to be her killer.
Witnesses said she had been angry to find Ian talking to his ‘former’ lover at the bar - and had immediately left.
It was a small victory in Williams’ head and she boasted to pals about how she had upset “the bitch”.
But not content with causing a minor fall-out just a week later - and a month before the murder - Williams and Walsh travelled to Germany on board a ferry from Hull paying a visit to the town of Darmstadt.
There the unlikely pair visited the showrooms of Security Discount Germany and purchased a 500,000 volt stun gun - and pepper spray.
Walsh - again documenting their every move - said Williams “could do with” the “zapper or she risks being injured herself.”
It was another month of careful plotting before the women were able to put their “dreadful plan” into action - waiting for Ian to be out of the country so Sadie was home alone.
It was Walsh who knocked on Sadie’s door just after 9pm - while Williams “skulked nearby watching her prey”.
Walsh handed the £3 flowers over with barely a word - but Sadie was so concerned about the visit that she immediately sent a text to Ian who was in Switzerland skiing by then.
She told him: “A woman has just this minute turned up at the door with a bunch of chrysanthemums but didn’t know who they are from? Xxx”
And added: “She knew my name. That’s a bit worrying when I’m here on my own… No label or anything on them and late at night! Xxx”
He responded that they weren’t from him and Sadie went on to discuss the strange visit with her business partner and best friend Julie Taylor.
Julie told cops Sadie had been concerned for her safety after a recent break-in and she had advised her to call the police about the flowers.
But tragically Sadie didn’t take her advice and it was a week later on January - when colleagues failed to raise her - that she was found dead in her hallway.
A post-mortem revealed the “onslaught” in Sadie’s home was a savage attack of extreme violence.
Sadie had fought frantically to defend herself against the stun gun and knife-wielding attacker.
But her 5’ 4’’ slight frame was no match for her killer who slashed and stabbed at her over 40 times with a Tesco kitchen knife.
Her tongue and spinal column were cut by the blade and the tip had penetrated her right eye.
Despite Williams and Walsh’s months of planning - it was just two days later that the “obsessive and jealous” younger woman was arrested by police and their delusional hopes of getting away with murder came crashing down.
Lancashire police found evidence at every turn. They discovered Sadie’s DNA in Williams’ bath and on her glasses and the victim’s blood in the footwell of the car purchased by the killers.
They found boot prints at the scene - traced back to the exact pair bought by Williams in the weeks before the killing.
They found their “dirty phones”, the Renault clio used during the murder, CCTV of the pair repeatedly visiting the street where Sadie lived, bank records of the purchases of the stun gun, GPS tracking device and clothing that was to be worn to carry out the murder.
And once they caught up with horse instructor Walsh - they had her diary confessions, the murder weapon, the stun gun, clothes and towels used to clean up.
During the trial they attempted to blame each other for the murder.
But the jury were unfazed and far from committing the “perfect murder” it was one that would see them facing the rest of their lives life behind bars.
Timeline of murder
2010
Sadie Hartley moves to her business to Cheshire
2011
Sarah Williams begins affair with married ski instructor Somapat Sitiwatjana.
Sadie and Ian Johnston begin an on-off relationship
MAY 2012
Williams sends Janet Sitiwatjana a letter telling her about the affair after her husband tried to dump her calling him a “total bastard”
JUNE 2012
Williams meets ski fan Andy Poole during a trip to the French Alps - and they start dating
SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
Williams is reported to the police for harassing the Sitiwatjanas
DECEMBER 2012
Sarah Williams begins relationship with retired fireman Ian Johnston
JANUARY – AUGUST 2013
Ian Johnston and Williams engage in a “purely sexual relationship” and exchange regular sex texts
In the summer of that year Ian and Sadie’s relationship starts getting more serious
SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2013
Ian Johnston begins trying to end things with Williams but carries on texting and having occasional sex with her
JANUARY 29, 2014
Williams sends long ranting text to Ian Johnston saying: “The last time you talked to me it I was like something you had found at the bottom of your shoe.”
Sex texting between Johnston and Williams continues through 2014
AUGUST 2014 - 17 months before killing
First diary entry made by Katrina Walsh
SEPTEMBER 2014
Katrina writes: “Sarah came round. Got caught up in endless murder plots for Ian’s other half”
Williams writes poison pen letter to Sadie
NOVEMBER 2014
Ian and Sadie move in together at Sunnybank Road, Helmshore
JUNE 2015
Katrina’s diary entry reads: “We’re also seriously talking of getting rid of her opponent. I agree is probably a good play... She does seem to be a totally evil b**h.”
AUGUST 2015
The defendants try to recruit Katrina Walsh’s ex husband Kevin ‘to the cause’.
Williams buys a “burner” phone.
Walsh writes: “‘Wow, I may get to be instrumental in helping remove the awful woman! This may happen! Wow. Am unexpectedly excited by it! Was so buzzing so much I needed a Southern Comfort to wind down a bit”.
SEPTEMBER 2015
The pair allegedly develop another plan – with Katrina referring to it in her diary as “thoughts of a hit on a motorcycle”. Walsh said she would have to train Sarah to ride a bike and “maybe make an ISIS flag to mislead the investigation”.
OCTOBER 2015
Walsh says they were discussing plans to “off the c***”.
Williams orders a GPS tracker on so they can find Sadie’s house and undertake a number of reconnaissance missions to scout out the area.
DECEMBER 9, 2015
Williams and Walsh drive to Hull, board a ferry to Rotterdam and go to a town in Germany called Darmstadt where they buy a stun gun.
Walsh writes: “So will get a trip to Germany out of this. Took ages to wind down after all the excitement of plotting the perfect murder.”
NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Pair buy a second tracker.
DECEMBER 2, 2015
Christmas party at the Chill Factore in Manchester where Sarah Williams worked and where Ian Johnston skied. Sadie Hartley also attended and all three appear in a group photo.
Williams places the tracker on Ian Johnson’s car sometime during the party.
DECEMBER 16, 2015
Between 8.41pm and 8.55pm Williams’s Volvo was captured going up and down Sadie Hartley’s street. The car was there for 14 minutes, parked out of sight and Williams walked to Sadie’s home to carefully take the tracker off Ian’s Subaru to change the battery
DECEMBER 17, 2015
Tracker replaced on Ian’s car by Williams
DECEMBER 19 TO 26, 2015
Defendants travel to France for a week’s holiday accompanied by Williams’ “sugar daddy” David Hardwick.
JANUARY 4, 2016
A text from Williams to Walsh “don’t forget to crack on with your shopping.... Suddenly it’s time”.
Williams and Mr Johnston exchange 30 text messages including explicit photos and sexts. They arrange to meet when he comes home from his skiing trip.
JANUARY 5
Knife bought and that same night Williams travelled to Sunnybank Road to retrieve the tracker from Ian Johnston’s car.
JANUARY 6
Ian travels to Switzerland. Williams knew this and also that Sadie was due to join him there on
Williams goes to Knutsford, Cheshire, to stake out Sadie’s business Hartley Taylor Medical Communications, for two hours in afternoon.
She buys binoculars and is tracked travelling straight to Helmshore. She is seen on CCTV going up and down the road and parking up.
JANUARY 7
At 8.30pm both defendants drive to Helmshore and buy a £3 bunch of Tesco flowers before going to Sadie’s to deliver them. A worried Sadie then texted Ian: “She knew my name. That’s a bit worrying when I’m here on my own.”
JANUARY 8
Sadie sends an email to her work partner the day after the flowers were delivered saying: “No label or anything on them - bit creepy really. Not from Ian of course but no idea who would do something like that. Needless to say had a bad night sleep last night as a result!”
JANUARY 10
Killers buy the “murder car”
Williams and Ian Johnston text each other again with Williams saying: “sending you a great big cuddle to keep you warm”
JANUARY 12 – TWO DAYS BEFORE MURDER
Williams’ Volvo went to Marks and Spencer’s near Ellesmere Port where she bought clothes and took out £50 cash with her bank card at about 6.40pm.
She goes to Deichmann’s in the retail park and buys a pair of size 10 boots.
JANUARY 13
New “burner” phone is activated
JANUARY 14
Williams murders Sadie in an “orgy of violence”
JANUARY 15
Sadie’s body found after her work colleague becomes concerned that she has not heard from her
JANUARY 17
Williams is arrested in the “dead of night” at her home. She denies murder and says she was at home reading Game of Thrones at the time of the attack.
Walsh starts to panic and tells a pal: “She’s used me. I have been betrayed.”
JANUARY 18
Walsh is arrested and tells cops: “I might have done something” and that she is “terrified” of Sarah and that she is a “patsy”.
JANUARY 19
Williams and Walsh are charged with murder.
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