0:00
This is Phoenix Spencer Horn. She was
0:02
21, bright, kind, and deservedly
0:05
well-loved. Meanwhile, this is Huan
0:08
Methan. He was 27. Quiet, intense, and
0:12
harbored a darkness that no one saw
0:14
coming. In a quiet Scottish town just
0:16
outside of Glasgow, this young couple
0:18
lived together in a small flat that
0:20
appeared ordinary to anyone passing by.
0:23
They appeared happy on social media and
0:25
many of their videos showed them
0:27
laughing, sharing meals, and building a
0:29
future together. However, behind closed
0:32
doors, something far more sinister was
0:34
brewing. And what began as a loving
0:36
relationship gradually became
0:38
controlling, suffocating, and eventually
0:41
dangerous.
0:43
Both ever loving and forgiving, Phoenix
0:45
Spencer Horn was hopeful that her
0:46
boyfriend would change in time. But the
0:49
truth is, she actually underestimated
0:51
how dangerous and broken he really was.
0:53
I mean, you can't really blame her in
0:55
all honesty. Euan may have been a little
0:57
strange and awkward, sure, but nobody
0:59
would have assumed that he would be
1:01
capable of murdering someone, let alone
1:03
his own partner. And then on a cold
1:05
night in November of 2024, he did
1:08
something that was truly unthinkable.
1:10
But what really sets this case apart
1:12
from the rest is what Euan did to her
1:14
body and himself in the hours after her
1:16
murder. And well, let's just say for
1:19
now, it will leave you utterly
1:21
horrified. Welcome, or welcome back to
1:23
Coffee House Crime, folks. My name is
1:24
Adrien, and today we're looking at the
1:26
gruesome case of Phoenix Spencer Horn
1:29
and the man who is responsible for all
1:31
of it. So, please grab yourself a
1:32
coffee, hit subscribe for more dark
1:34
stories like this every single week, and
1:36
let's begin. This is the case of Phoenix
1:39
Spencer Horn.
1:49
Good morning, folks. Today, we're
1:51
heading to the north of the UK and to
1:53
the beautiful country of Scotland. Now,
1:56
although we don't visit Scotland too
1:57
often on this channel, it's a place that
1:59
is rich in history and atmosphere. From
2:02
the rugged peaks of the Highlands to the
2:04
crumbling castles that are scattered
2:06
across the coastline, it's a country
2:08
that is shaped by centuries of
2:09
rebellion, poetry, and pride. Today
2:12
we're focusing on a quieter corner of
2:14
the country, that being the town of East
2:16
Kilbride. And although this town sits
2:18
only 10 mi south of Greater Glasgow's
2:21
city center, it very much stands on its
2:23
own. East Kilbride was Scotland's first
2:26
official new town developed back in the
2:28
year 1947 to ease Glasgow's postwar
2:31
overcrowding. It was built as a
2:33
carefully planned community, promising
2:35
leafy suburbs, roundabouts, and neatly
2:38
laid shopping centers. a model of modern
2:40
living designed for a better and
2:42
brighter future. As they said, for many
2:45
that vision still holds true, and East
2:47
Kilbride remains a familyoriented place
2:50
which is home to over 75,000 people. But
2:53
like many towns born from idealism, it
2:56
also has its own shadows. And did you
2:58
know that on a separate note to this
3:00
story, it was in the year 2005 when East
3:03
Kilbride was thrust into the national
3:05
spotlight when police discovered the
3:08
body of Vicky Hamilton, who was buried
3:10
in a back garden. Her killer was
3:12
actually Peter Tobin, a man who was
3:14
later unmasked as one of the UK's most
3:16
prolific serial murderers. On that note,
3:19
let me know if you'd like to hear more
3:20
about this kind of traditional true
3:22
crime story. Vicky Hamilton's case shook
3:24
the town's sense of safety, and in the
3:26
decades that followed, East Kilbride saw
3:29
a slow but steady rise in domestic and
3:31
drugrelated violence. Changes that
3:33
reflect a broader shift across the
3:35
country's post-industrial towns. And
3:38
moving forward, it is here on a quiet
3:40
residential street named Glenn Lee that
3:43
21-year-old Phoenix Spencer Horn lived
3:45
with her 27-year-old partner, Euan
3:47
Mathan. Born in 2003, Phoenix was the
3:50
youngest of four children. Her family
3:52
lived in the small Scottish town of
3:54
Strath Haven, which can be found in
3:56
South Lanakshshire. The family was
3:58
close-knit, loving, and grounded, and
4:00
her parents provided the kind of home
4:02
where their children all flourished.
4:04
Speaking of her parents, Allison and
4:06
Graham raised their children with strong
4:08
values. And Phoenix appeared to take all
4:10
of them to heart because even as a
4:12
child, she stood out. And it wasn't just
4:14
her that turned heads, but her spirit,
4:17
too. She was bright, warm, and full of
4:19
quiet compassion. the kind of person who
4:22
noticed when someone was struggling and
4:24
instinctively would always step in to
4:26
help. While studying at Straven Academy,
4:29
she became known for the same traits
4:31
that shaped her at home. She was kind,
4:33
humorous, and had an incredible sense of
4:35
empathy. And her teachers remembered her
4:37
as not only someone who worked hard, but
4:40
someone who made others feel seen. After
4:42
finishing school, Phoenix threw herself
4:44
into work and the adult world, working
4:46
at the local Straven Hotel, serving the
4:48
good stuff at a cafe. And of course, I'm
4:51
talking about coffee. And apparently,
4:53
she made it look completely effortless.
4:55
Both colleagues and managers alike
4:57
respected her. And as for her customers,
5:00
well, let's just say they adored her.
5:02
Outside of work, Phoenix's life was both
5:04
sweet but simple. She basically
5:06
prioritized her family, loved music and
5:08
long walks in the countryside, and
5:10
posted many videos to Tik Tok, basically
5:12
what everyone in their 20s does
5:14
nowadays. As you can see, her Tik Tok
5:16
account was filled with many happy
5:18
moments. Ice cream with friends, golden
5:21
hour selfies, and goofy snaps with her
5:23
siblings. And it was during this period,
5:25
while balancing her jobs, enjoying her
5:27
freedom, and beginning to shape her
5:29
future, that she would eventually, and
5:31
unfortunately, meet a man named Euan
5:33
Mathan. Now, at first, he did come
5:35
across as gentle and reserved. The kind
5:38
of man who didn't say much in crowds,
5:40
but showed a softer, more thoughtful
5:41
side when behind closed doors, and I
5:44
think you Americans and Aussies would
5:46
probably just call that a typical
5:47
British man. But even to our standards,
5:50
he was reserved. At the time that this
5:52
story takes place, Euan Methin was 27
5:55
years old. Growing up in Straven, which
5:57
is only a few miles away from East
5:59
Kilbride, he lived there with his family
6:01
and attended local schools, and moving
6:04
into his adulthood, he would work as a
6:06
postman for Royal Mail, a quiet,
6:08
dependable job, and by many accounts,
6:10
one that he apparently did well in. To
6:13
those who knew him casually, Euan came
6:15
across as sociable and popular, yet a
6:17
little bit shy. However, there was
6:20
another side to him, too, one that many
6:22
people rarely saw in him. Several
6:25
neighbors recalled flashes of anger
6:26
beneath that charm and a certain
6:28
deadness in his stare when his
6:30
expression slipped. And for those who
6:32
had once scrolled through his social
6:34
media, the signs were even harder to
6:37
ignore because from the age of 14
6:39
through to around 18, he posted a string
6:42
of troubling messages online where his
6:44
tone was violent, angry, and deeply
6:47
misogynistic. In one post, he wrote,
6:49
"You've always got that one person you
6:51
choke to smash [ __ ] out of." Another one
6:54
read, "It's kill or be killed." And in
6:56
one of the more disturbing messages, he
6:59
described wanting to quote, "Kick her
7:01
big, horrible [ __ ] teeth oot." Which,
7:03
of course, is a northerner's way of
7:05
saying a punchup. Now, there wasn't only
7:07
just one or two, but dozens of messages
7:10
like this. To make matters even more
7:12
cringe, Ewan described himself as a
7:14
local drug dealer and occasional porn
7:16
star. And he would even boast about how
7:18
anger made him feel tingly and agitated.
7:21
Now, although the posts were eventually
7:23
deleted and scrubbed from the internet,
7:25
they were not forgotten by all of those
7:27
who had already seen them, Euan's online
7:29
facade revealed a teen who appeared to
7:32
be consumed by violence and ego. And
7:34
whether or not it was merely just a
7:36
phase, nobody could ignore the warning
7:39
signs. But fast forward a few years, and
7:41
now Huan was quietly working at Royal
7:44
Mail. Colleagues claim that he always
7:46
kept to himself, did his rounds without
7:48
complaint, and tried not to draw much
7:50
attention, which is quite the plot twist
7:53
really. From local drug dealer and
7:55
occasional porn star to part-time posty
7:57
and full-time walking red flag. Anyway,
8:00
it was sometime in late 2022 when he
8:03
eventually met Phoenix. They apparently
8:05
crossed paths at a family gathering when
8:08
she was only 20 years old and he had
8:10
just turned 25. At first glance, they
8:13
seemed like total opposites. Phoenix was
8:16
full of light and laughter, and Euan,
8:18
well, Euan was Euan, but sometimes it's
8:21
actually that contrast that will
8:23
eventually bring people together.
8:25
Friends described her as gentle, funny,
8:27
and fiercely loyal. And apparently, she
8:29
was the kind of person who just always
8:31
knew if he needed a hug or some kind of
8:33
support. Now, on the surface, their
8:35
circumstances did seem like a good
8:38
match. I mean, she was studying while
8:40
working part-time, and he had a steady
8:42
job, so it was quite the balanced
8:45
pairing. From what I could tell, Phoenix
8:46
was a very good partner and basically
8:48
brought energy and color into his life
8:50
and made him try new things. Basically,
8:52
she brought him out of his shell. And as
8:55
for Huan, well, at least in the
8:56
beginning, he seemed like a charming
8:58
man. And as things moved along, he made
9:00
a very good impression to her family.
9:02
Her friends would even describe him as
9:04
attentive, loving, and even doting. And
9:06
of course, from everything that Phoenix
9:08
shared, it really did seem like she
9:10
loved him to the moon and back. So, as
9:12
it always goes, fast forward a few
9:14
months and the two are now living
9:15
together in a small rented flat in East
9:17
Kilbride. And at least from the outside,
9:20
everything appeared to be dandy. They
9:22
celebrated birthdays, took photos
9:24
together, and even popped around to see
9:26
the family basically every week. Just
9:28
another couple figuring life out.
9:31
However, behind the scenes, things were
9:33
not quite so straightforward. You see,
9:36
over time, humans slowly started to
9:38
change. It didn't happen all at once,
9:40
but basically crept in slowly, and it
9:43
was little things at first, too, like
9:45
off-hand criticisms, moodiness, and
9:47
basically just sulking when things
9:49
didn't go his way. And then came the
9:51
jealousy, not only over her friends and
9:53
who she spoke to, but even over her job
9:56
and the way that she dressed. Being the
9:58
empathic person that she was, Phoenix
10:00
desperately tried to calm him. But the
10:02
truth is that those cracks simply kept
10:04
on widening. His insecurities deepened
10:07
and over time Huan became volatile.
10:12
Now Phoenix never made a big scene.
10:14
Instead, she started opening up to
10:16
friends about it, quietly letting them
10:18
know that things were no longer working.
10:21
And by mid 2024, she had finally made
10:24
her mind up. She wanted space from Huan
10:26
and was ready to move on. But Euan would
10:29
not take that rejection very well. and
10:31
apparently had the perfect excuse for
10:33
her. He claimed that he wasn't actually
10:36
a bad guy. Instead, he was just a poor
10:39
victim to cocaine, steroids, and
10:41
alcohol, and that once he had his
10:43
addictions under control, everything
10:45
would change eventually. But rather than
10:47
seek real change, he would use these
10:50
vices as excuses. And ever patient as
10:53
always, Phoenix believed him. By
10:55
November of 2024, Euan and Phoenix had
10:58
lived together for nearly 2 years. And
11:01
unfortunately, Euan was still slipping
11:03
deeper into substance abuse, emotional
11:06
volatility, and a need for control. When
11:08
looking at what was going on in the
11:10
background, it all kind of made sense
11:12
because not only did Euan feel stagnant
11:14
and stuck in his mundane job, but he was
11:17
still caught in cycles of dependency.
11:19
Safe to say that Phoenix never should
11:21
have put up with this. But tragically,
11:24
it was her very own compassion and
11:26
kindness that would not only keep her
11:28
there, but also lead her straight into
11:30
betrayal.
11:34
The date was November the 16th, 2024,
11:37
and was a Saturday night like any other.
11:39
Phoenix had finished her shift at the
11:41
Straven Hotel before then returning home
11:43
to her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Huan had
11:46
spent the entire afternoon alone and had
11:48
even messaged her to say that he was
11:50
apparently feeling lonely. Phoenix
11:52
replied with warmth, promising that
11:54
they'd be together soon. And later that
11:56
evening, the two shared a takeaway in
11:58
front of the TV. From the outside, it
12:01
looked like a normal, quiet night in,
12:03
just two people in a long-term
12:05
relationship sharing dinner and winding
12:07
down together after a long week of work.
12:10
At 9:37 p.m., Phoenix messaged her
12:13
mother to say that the two were having
12:14
dinner at home. Not only was the message
12:16
short and casual, but it hinted that
12:19
nothing was wrong. However, sadly, only
12:21
a few hours later, everything would
12:24
change. It was just after midnight that
12:26
neighbors heard loud noises and hurried
12:28
footsteps, which seemed to echo from
12:30
above them. An odd energy that seemed
12:32
out of place from a normal weekend
12:35
evening. But just as quickly as those
12:37
strange noises began, silence suddenly
12:39
followed. And I'm talking about silence
12:42
not only from the apartment, but also
12:44
from Phoenix's phone. Because as the
12:46
night continued, she wouldn't respond to
12:48
any phone calls or text messages. The
12:51
rest of the night passed undisturbed,
12:53
and the flat stayed dark and her phone
12:55
stayed silent. It was only the following
12:58
morning, when Phoenix still hadn't
13:00
replied to her mother, that Allison
13:02
started to grow cautious. She messaged
13:05
her daughter to ask if she was okay. And
13:07
although she did eventually receive a
13:09
message back, it was short and out of
13:12
character, simply saying, "Sorry, I've
13:14
just woken up." Euan himself had also
13:17
exchanged messages with Allison,
13:19
claiming that the both of them were
13:20
simply drunk that night and that her
13:22
daughter was still asleep, which once
13:24
again felt concerning because this was a
13:27
little out of character for her. Her
13:28
family were concerned, yes, but they
13:31
figured that maybe she might just need
13:32
some time to nurse her hangover. And so,
13:35
the rest of the day slid by without much
13:37
more investigation. However, when she
13:40
failed to turn up for her shift at work
13:42
the following day on Monday, the 18th of
13:44
November, that is when her family became
13:47
really worried. No surprise, they
13:49
contacted the authorities to
13:50
investigate. At 12:10 p.m. Just
13:53
afternoon, officers arrived at the flat.
13:56
And although they were mostly interested
13:58
in finding Phoenix, it was Euan who
14:00
answered, who appeared to be calm,
14:02
collected, and eerily quiet as usual. He
14:05
invited the officers in. And once they
14:08
stepped inside, what they found was
14:10
nothing short of horrific. The smell of
14:12
copper filled the hallway, and police
14:15
officers immediately spotted a naked
14:17
body lying in the room. A body which had
14:20
been partially covered by a tea towel.
14:22
They could instantly tell that Phoenix
14:24
has suffered extreme mutilation and not
14:27
only had her head been severed, but it
14:29
had also been placed upright beneath her
14:31
left arm next to her torso. Taking a
14:34
look around the property, it appeared
14:36
that Huan had tried to dismember her.
14:38
Two bloodied knives were found near her
14:40
body with a third that was also stained
14:43
discovered in the bedroom. Officers
14:45
noted that the scene was so brutal,
14:47
intimate, and unflinchingly violent. And
14:50
even stranger, throughout it all, Euan
14:53
remained composed. Surprisingly, Euan
14:56
answered all of their questions with
14:57
full transparency and without any
14:59
resistance whatsoever. And when they
15:01
asked him why he did such a thing, he
15:04
bluntly said that he couldn't stay in
15:05
the flat with a full body, which is why
15:07
he tried to dismember her. This chilling
15:10
flatness, which was spoken without any
15:12
panic or remorse, left all detectives
15:14
truly horrified. And the worst part is
15:17
that Euan really did not seem to care. I
15:20
mean, at one point he even turned to an
15:22
officer and said, "I guess this is what
15:23
my next 25 years look like." And so, no
15:27
surprise, our postman was swiftly
15:29
arrested and then delivered straight to
15:31
a jail cell. Express delivery included.
15:33
The next stage was quite simple.
15:35
Forensic investigators sealed the scene
15:37
and then began documenting every inch of
15:39
the apartment. They looked at her body
15:41
placement, the knife positions, and all
15:43
stages of decomposition. And tragically,
15:46
it turns out that Phoenix had been
15:47
stabbed more than 20 times, with many of
15:50
those being straight to the face. And
15:52
the report would also conclude that
15:53
despite many of these stab wounds being
15:55
to the face, it was a single stab to the
15:58
chest which likely killed her.
16:01
Even after his arrest, Euan could not
16:03
stop yapping. He told the officers that
16:05
he had blacked out during a drugfueled
16:07
episode and suggested that maybe
16:09
steroids, cocaine, and alcohol all
16:11
played a role into his behavior. At no
16:14
point did he try to deny responsibility.
16:16
Instead, he seemed fixated on painting
16:19
himself as a broken man who was
16:21
fractured by substance abuse and
16:22
deep-seated emotions. And as it turns
16:25
out, this wasn't actually the first time
16:27
he had confessed to murdering Phoenix.
16:29
Because only a few moments before police
16:32
came knocking at the front door, he had
16:33
dialed 999 himself. On the call, he had
16:37
calmly told the operator that he had
16:39
murdered his girlfriend. And when asked
16:41
by the operator if he was sure that she
16:43
was dead, he responded with, "I know she
16:46
is dead, mate. She is dead. I even tried
16:49
to dismember her." So, what really
16:51
happened that fateful night? Well,
16:53
according to him and the forensic
16:55
evidence available, it was shortly after
16:58
midnight and without warning that Euan
17:00
suddenly launched himself on Phoenix.
17:02
Apparently, there was no cause or
17:04
commotion to any of this. He just merely
17:07
wanted to kill her. and after jumping on
17:09
top of her, she was strangled before
17:11
then being stabbed more than 20 times.
17:14
At 12:13 a.m., a neighbor who was
17:16
downstairs reported hearing a loud bang
17:19
with a series of footsteps overhead then
17:21
following. By then, it was already too
17:23
late. Phoenix was gone. But what
17:26
followed next was almost unbelievable.
17:28
Now alone in the flat, Euan placed her
17:31
body in the bathtub, retrieved three
17:33
knives from the kitchen, and then, in
17:35
unimaginable horror, removed her head.
17:38
By morning, the place that they had once
17:40
called home was no longer recognizable,
17:42
and the silence that followed was only
17:44
interrupted by the sound of Fuan pacing
17:46
the apartment. There were no cries for
17:49
help, no calls to emergency services,
17:52
and no screams of regret. This was now
17:54
merely a flat that was soaked in horror
17:56
and a killer who was left alone with
17:59
what he had done. When her family
18:00
eventually grew concerned, Euan
18:02
pretended to be her, texting her mother
18:04
as if nothing was wrong. Meanwhile, only
18:07
a few meters away, her lifeless body lay
18:10
helplessly on the floor. And over the
18:12
course of that Sunday, Euan's behavior
18:14
became even more disturbing. which is
18:17
kind of crazy to say because you would
18:18
think it would stop at murder, but
18:20
seriously, it became far worse because
18:23
between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., he used
18:26
her phone to watch adult content. And
18:28
I'm not talking just once or twice here,
18:30
but literally more than 170 times. Over
18:33
the next 10 hours, he watched hundreds
18:35
of these videos, all while his
18:37
girlfriend's body lay on the floor next
18:39
to him. You know, I genuinely don't
18:40
think that you can be more disgusting.
18:42
That kind of crossover at that level of
18:44
intensity is just absolutely haunting.
18:47
In fact, later that day and halfway
18:49
through this marathon, he would even
18:51
order drugs to his flat before then
18:53
continuing this binge.
18:57
Surveillance cameras around town would
18:59
later record him behind the wheel of
19:00
Phoenix's red vaual corser. It was noted
19:03
that he left the apartment at least
19:05
once, which was most likely to find a
19:07
local drug dealer and also seek ways to
19:10
dispose of the evidence. Either way, it
19:13
was clear that he was making calculated
19:15
decisions to rid himself of her death,
19:18
all while trying to binge himself on
19:20
another high. Meanwhile, concern was
19:22
rapidly growing within the family. And
19:24
when Phoenix didn't show up for work the
19:26
day after, colleagues from Straven Hotel
19:29
reached out to her parents, and it was
19:31
in that moment that they finally had
19:33
enough. Already suspicious of the
19:35
situation, Allison phoned the police.
19:37
And this phone call paired with Euan's
19:40
own call to the police to confess would
19:42
mark the end of this terrible mystery.
19:44
It was clear that up until that moment,
19:47
Euan had done everything in his power to
19:49
delay his capture. From forging text
19:51
messages to watching hours of
19:53
pornography, right the way through to
19:55
crude attempts and making it easier to
19:57
move her body. And it was only when he
19:59
realized that he could no longer evade
20:01
the inevitable that he finally dialed
20:03
999. Euan's arrest marked the beginning
20:06
of a complex and deeply disturbing
20:08
investigation. And although he had
20:10
confessed at the crime scene and also
20:12
during his phone call to the police,
20:14
detectives still had to piece together
20:16
everything that had happened. Forensic
20:19
teams spent hours in that flat gathering
20:21
evidence. And Phoenix's family were
20:23
informed that tragically her body had
20:26
been found. And well, let's just say
20:29
that they haven't been the same ever
20:31
since. Only 2 days later, Euan appeared
20:34
in court for the first time where he was
20:36
charged with murder and attempting to
20:38
defeat the ends of justice. He made no
20:40
plea and no apology and was remanded in
20:43
custody. And due to the brutality of
20:45
this case, it was quickly moved to the
20:47
high court in Glasgow. Prosecutors built
20:50
their case in the months that followed,
20:52
gathering evidence from autopsy reports,
20:54
digital forensics, witness testimonies,
20:56
and detailed crime scene analysis
20:58
reports. Fast forward half a year and on
21:01
June the 17th, 2025, he was finally
21:04
ready to stand trial. The room was
21:06
filled with reporters, onlookers, and
21:09
grieving family members. Meanwhile, Euan
21:12
himself stood motionless in the dock as
21:14
prosecutors laid out the charges in
21:16
graphic detail. They told the court that
21:19
Phoenix had been strangled, stabbed
21:21
repeatedly, and then decapitated. It was
21:24
also detailed that he watched porn over
21:27
170 times and blasted his way through
21:29
drugs and alcohol while her dead and
21:31
naked body lay merely meters away from
21:34
him. With so much against him, Euan knew
21:36
that there was no chance of him walking
21:38
away. And so with that in mind, he
21:40
pleaded guilty to both charges. But that
21:43
would be only after the prosecution
21:45
managed to fight their corner. And they
21:47
said that his actions had been driven by
21:48
jealousy, possessiveness, and long-term
21:51
substance abuse. However, the main thing
21:53
that stood out here was how calculated
21:56
he had been after the fact. They would
21:58
claim that this wasn't some sort of
21:59
freak madness or accident, but instead a
22:02
series of cold and chilling decisions.
22:04
And interestingly enough, his defense
22:06
team wouldn't try to dispute the facts
22:08
either. Instead, Euan's lawyer claimed
22:10
that his client had suffered an
22:12
emotional and psychological breakdown,
22:14
and that is why he had no memory of the
22:16
murder. Now, this is the bit that really
22:18
gets me, but apparently his very own
22:20
lawyer would say that almost everyone
22:22
would see him as quote the
22:24
personification of evil. And when your
22:26
own defense lawyer sees you in that way,
22:28
well, let's just say you basically know
22:30
you're pretty much stuffed.
22:34
Even still, the court was not swayed by
22:36
claims of a blackout. The evidence told
22:38
a different story, and as the final
22:40
arguments were laid bare, the courtroom
22:42
sat in suffocating stillness. The judge
22:45
had heard it all. the brutality, the
22:47
aftermath, and all of the lies. And with
22:50
Euan's guilty p accepted, all that
22:52
remained was his final sentencing. And
22:55
on July the 14th, 2025, that day finally
22:59
came. The judge described the killing as
23:01
truly dreadful and condemned Euan for
23:04
betraying the trust of someone who had
23:06
considered him as family. For his
23:08
crimes, Euan was handed a life sentence
23:10
with a minimum of 23 years before even
23:13
being considered for parole. The judge
23:15
noted that after the murder, he did not
23:17
call for help or contact the
23:19
authorities. Instead, he stayed in the
23:22
flat for almost 48 hours, indulging on
23:25
his many vices. This, of course,
23:27
revealed a horrific lack of remorse or
23:30
urgency. And in his sentencing remarks,
23:32
the judge simply said, "You robbed her
23:34
of all dignity." The court also heard
23:37
from Phoenix's family. They read out
23:39
victim impact statements and voice
23:41
recordings which described the pain,
23:43
heartbreak, and fury left behind, and
23:46
the silence that now seems to swallow
23:48
all of their lives.
23:51
Phoenix Spencer Horn was only 21 years
23:54
old when her life was taken from her.
23:56
That being, in one of the most horrific
23:58
ways imaginable, she was young, full of
24:00
promise, and held many dreams. After her
24:03
death, tributes poured in both online
24:06
and in person, and a memorial bench now
24:08
stands in her hometown of Straven, where
24:10
donations are raised in her name for
24:12
Glasgow Women's Aid. Her family and
24:15
friends remember her laugh, her loyalty,
24:17
and her warmth. And perhaps the hardest
24:19
question that they still face is how
24:21
could someone so kind and so full of
24:24
life find themselves living under the
24:26
same roof as someone so dangerous? And
24:28
how could these Tik Tok videos be so
24:31
different from reality? I think another
24:33
thing to mention here, and I know I
24:35
often say it on this channel, but what
24:37
we see online is not always what's real.
24:39
In fact, so many people out there tend
24:42
to show their best 1% online, making it
24:44
seem like it's just another day in their
24:46
life. But psychologically speaking, it's
24:49
actually a trap and it makes everyone
24:51
else feel like that they haven't got
24:52
enough. On social media, Phoenix and
24:55
Huan looked like any other young couple,
24:57
smiling in photos, sharing trips, and
25:00
posting the small happy moments of daily
25:02
life. From the outside, their
25:04
relationship seemed ordinary. But as we
25:06
eventually found out, those filtered
25:08
snapshots barely even told part of the
25:10
story. Behind the scenes, Euan was
25:13
struggling with jealousy, insecurity,
25:15
and a desperate need for control. And
25:18
Phoenix, well, she was kind and tried to
25:20
carry that burden quietly. And I suppose
25:23
that's one of the many dangers of
25:24
curating your life on social media
25:26
because then all of the lies, jealousy,
25:28
and hatred are all hidden right behind
25:31
those few pixels.
25:35
Phoenix's story is a devastating
25:37
reminder that serious issues can always
25:40
be hiding in plain sight and that even
25:42
the people who seem to be the happiest
25:44
can actually be suffering behind closed
25:46
doors. And once again, it brings me back
25:49
to that very uncomfortable truth about
25:51
social media, how even those carefully
25:53
curated images can actually be covering
25:56
up real danger. Anyway, folks, I'm going
25:58
to wrap up this episode here. However,
26:00
before you go, I'd love to hear what you
26:02
think about this one. So, as always,
26:04
please share your thoughts below. And if
26:06
you haven't already, please do consider
26:07
hitting that subscribe button because
26:09
honestly, it really does help the
26:11
channel more than you know. And on that
26:12
note, I'm done for the day. So, I'm
26:14
going to go have dinner, probably relax
26:16
for the rest of the evening, and hope
26:17
that you do, too. I'll be back again
26:19
very soon for another video. But until
26:21
that moment arrives, please remember to
26:23
look after yourselves, and of course,
26:25
stay curious, and I'll see you in the
26:27
next one. Thank you, folks. Goodbye.