Man murdered partner with hammer while banned from seeing her

A man murdered his partner with a hammer in Aberdeen while banned from going near her.

Joseph Greer, 40, was wearing an electronic tag when he attacked 54-year-old Samantha Lee in January.

He admitted murder at the High Court in Glasgow, and will be sentenced later this year.

Judge Lord Renucci said: "You have pled guilty to the most appalling offences - cowardly as they are despicable."

Relatives described the victim, a mother, as "loving, patient and endlessly caring".

This story contains details that readers may find distressing.

The court heard Greer and Lee had been in a relationship since 2021.

Previously, Greer had been seen on top of her in a street last October.

He was also seen repeatedly hitting her with the handset from a public phone.

Greer was arrested and appeared in court. He was later bailed, with an order not to go near her.

He was also put on a curfew resulting in him having to wear an electronic tag.

Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC said the exact time of the murder was not known.

The victim had contacted a friend on 31 December and said she feared Greer was "going to kill her".

She was last seen on CCTV at a local shop on New Year's Day and had also spoken to one of her children on the phone.

A friend of Greer visited him at his Bedford Road bedsit on 4 January.

It was there he initially stated: "I have something to tell you."

He then confessed: "Samantha is dead. She is in the kitchen."

The other person then found the body. The court was told she had suffered a series of blunt force head injuries, including fractures.

Greer left, and no weapon was found, but he had earlier told a friend he owned a claw hammer.

He was later arrested elsewhere in Aberdeen. Forensic evidence also linked him to the murder.

On Friday he admitted to the murder as well as the aggravated assault of his partner in October 2025.

Lord Renucci will tell Greer the minimum time he will spend behind bars when he returns to the dock on 7 August at the High Court in Dundee.

At the time of her death, relatives said: "She had a rare ability to light up any room and make people feel at ease, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter and treasured memories that will never be forgotten."