POLICE have released bodycam footage of the ‘horrific’ moment when two Forest officers discovered the dismembered remains of a murdered woman.

As reported last week, Gareeca Gordon has been jailed for a minimum 23 and a half years for stabbing to death 28-year-old Phoenix Netts at their shared Birmingham refuge accommodation in April 2020.

The murder of 28-year-old Phoenix Netts was only discovered by chance thanks to two persistent Forest officers who found Gordon with two suitcases at the roadside near Coleford late at night four weeks later, and demanded that she open them.

The bodycam footage released by West Midlands Police, who led the investigation, shows her becoming angry as the policeman and policewoman tell her to open the bags.

She tries to stop the officers who tell her she could be “arrested for obstruction” if she continues.

Gordon says “I don’t want to stop you guys”, but is told “you are stopping us” as they make her move out of the way.

And the film captures the shocking moment when one of the officers manages to unzip one of the suitcases near the entrance to Stowfield Quarry to uncover the gruesome sight of partly burnt human remains.

The policewoman’s face drops in shock, while the stunned policeman exhales and then says “what the f***”.

Bristol Crown Court was told last week that Gordon, also 28, stabbed Ms Netts four times in the victim’s room, before dismembering her body with a circular saw bought for £45 on Gumtree.

She made several trips by road and rail to the Forest of Dean to dispose of body parts in woodland before she was arrested near the entrance to the Stowfield Quarry, on the B4228 between Coleford and Staunton, shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.

Police had initially become suspicious when they stopped a car from Wolverhampton being driven erratically on the nearby A4136 Forest to Monmouth road, and issued the male driver, who had driven Gordon to the Forest, with a fixed penalty for breaking Covid rules.

Police then spotted Gordon at the roadside of the B4228 just beyond the Robin Hood Junction with the main road, and were initially concerned for her welfare before her behaviour sparked suspicions and led to the grim discovery.

She answered no comment in interview, but forensic scientists soon identified the body as belonging to former Canterbury University student Ms Netts.

Police also uncovered Gordon’s attempts to cover her tracks by sending text messages, emails and voice messages using an audio editing application to the victim’s family saying she was still alive and had moved to London.

CCTV footage showed Gordon dragging the body in a suitcase outside the hostel, and buying cleaning supplies and a sleeping bag in a shop.

The court last week heard that Ms Netts - the grandaughter of renowned rock music photographer Barrie Wentzell - had told a friend that Gordon had "demanded sex with her" and became "aggressive" when she said no.

She said in a text message just days before her death: "There’s a girl here who keeps asking me to be sexual. I think I’m going to move back to London. It’s scaring me."

Police believe Gordon, who admitted murder, killed her in the victim’s room on Thursday, April 16.

Ms Netts’ phone was used by Gordon to search subjects such as "how to fix punctured lung", "internal bleeding" and "can someone recover from getting stabbed", the court heard.

The suffered four stab wounds to her torso, and would have survived if treated promptly, it was revealed.

Detective Chief Inspector John Turner, who led the investigation in Gloucestershire, labelled Gordon "evil".

"This has been an extremely distressing investigation which not only impacted the officers who first attended the scene, but also all of those who have been involved in the complex case since that day,” he said.

"The officers who attended that night were presented with a set of truly horrific circumstances and if it wasn’t for their inquisitive nature I believe we may not have ever found Phoenix’s body.

"As the investigation unfolded it became clear that Gordon had come up with an elaborate plan in order to try and hide her abhorrent actions. She is truly the most callous, calculating and evil person I have ever dealt with.”

"This was a painstaking case with meticulous work from both forces which resulted in Gordon pleading guilty, saving Phoenix’s family further distress of hearing the case in court.

"I would like to thank my colleagues in both forces for their determination and hard work throughout – their tenacity has ensured Gordon is behind bars for her horrific and heartless crimes."

Describing Gordon’s behaviour as “really calculated”, Detective Superintendent Scott Griffiths of West Midlands Police, said: “Gareeca even went onto the internet and downloaded an audio application which enabled her to edit some voice messages of Phoenix, to send those via social media platforms to a number of people, which confirmed that she was well and that she was alive.

“Gareeca then purchased industrial detergents and utilised local rubbish collection companies to take all evidential opportunities from Phoenix’s room, and dispose of them.

“This resulted in us coming across a very cleansed scene and no overt signs that a homicide, let alone a dismemberment of a body, had occurred in the room of Phoenix Netts.”

The court also heard that “handwritten plans and notes concerned with her removing the body from Coleford and moving it to Wales to burn further” were found in Gordon’s room.