A savage British murderer who fled to the Costa del Sol after killing of a mother-of-three has died in prison.
David Baxendale, 55, passed away on March 30, 2026, at HMP Frankland, it has emerged, where he had been serving a whole-life sentence for the murder of Sarah Thomas.
Baxendale was convicted in 2011 for killing the 38-year-old in Nutfield the previous year, in a violent attack described in court as ‘ferocious’.
Escape to the Costa del Sol
After the killing, Baxendale fled the UK using his brother’s passport, travelling by ferry before making his way to Fuengirola, where he went into hiding on the Costa del Sol.
His time in Spain came to an end after a member of the public recognised him following a police appeal.
He was later extradited back to the UK, where he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to a whole-life tariff, meaning he would never be released.
A murder that shocked a community
Baxendale had met Sarah Thomas at a friend’s flat in Redhill before the pair travelled together to her home on High Street in Nutfield.
Hours later, her partner arrived to find her lying in the living room, covered in blood.
The case stunned the local community and left three children without their mother.
Violent past in Spain
The killing was not Baxendale’s first.
He had previously been convicted in Spain in 2001 for the murder of a man he stabbed 14 times while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
After serving time, he was returned to the UK in 2008 and released the following year under probation supervision.
His death in custody brings an end to a violent chapter spanning both the UK and Spain.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
