Man found guilty of murdering girlfriend and dumping her body by side of road

A man who killed his girlfriend and dumped her body by the side of the road in Surrey has been found guilty of her murder.

It took a jury less than three hours to convict Dane Messam, 52, of the murder of 41-year-old Helen Anderson after a four week trial.

Ms Anderson's body was discovered at the side of the A3 junction in Guildford by a member of the public on Monday 23 August 2021.

Messam, of Henry Road in Hackney, was involved in an on-off relationship with Helen, and was quickly identified as the prime suspect in the murder investigation.

He was later found driving a red and white decommissioned double decker bus near Bicester, Oxfordshire, and arrested the evening after Helen’s body was discovered (Tuesday 24 August).  

Messam is due to be sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 22 April.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Vickers, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with Helen’s friends and family, and we hope that the guilty verdict today will bring them some closure and allow them to start rebuilding their lives.”