A man has admitted to murdering his partner in Aberdeen after attacking her with a hammer while subject to a court order prohibiting him from going near her. Joseph Greer, 39, pleaded guilty to her murder and a previous assault on Friday, June 26 at the High Court in Glasgow and is due to be sentenced on Friday, August 7, at the High Court in Dundee. The body of Samantha Lee, 54, was found at her home in Bedford Road on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
The court heard that Greer was already under strict conditions at the time of the murder, including an order banning him from approaching Lee and an electronic monitoring tag as part of his bail and curfew arrangements. Judge Lord Renucci said: “You have pled guilty to the most appalling offences – cowardly as they are despicable.”
Lee’s body was found after a friend of Greer visited him at Bedford Road, the BBC reports.
Greer told the visitor: “I have something to tell you,” before confessing, “Samantha is dead. She is in the kitchen.”
The person then found the body. The court heard Lee had sustained multiple blunt force injuries to the head including fractures.
Greer left the scene, and no weapon was recovered though it was noted in court that he had previously told a friend that he owned a claw hammer. He was later arrested elsewhere in Aberdeen. Forensic evidence subsequently linked him to the murder.
Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC said the exact time of the attack is not known.
Lee had contacted a friend on December 31 and said that she feared Greer was “going to kill her”. She was last seen on CCTV at a local shop on January 1 and had also spoken to one of her children on the phone. Lee was mother of three.
In a statement shared on Friday, Lee’s family said: “Today, we acknowledge the conviction of the person responsible for taking our mum’s life. No verdict can ever bring her back or erase the pain, grief, and loss our family has experienced.
“Our mum was a loving, caring, and valued person whose life was taken from us far too soon. Her absence is felt every day, and the impact of this crime has changed our family forever.”
Detective Inspector James Callander said: “My thoughts remain with Samantha’s family and friends as they continue to try to come to terms with what happened. Nothing can make up for their loss, but I hope this outcome will bring them some form of comfort.
“This was a shocking attack which caused concern in the local area, and I would like to thank the community for their patience and assistance throughout our investigation.
“Greer now faces the consequences of his despicable actions.
“Violence such as this is never acceptable in our communities and we will work tirelessly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
The court heard that the relationship between Greer and Lee had begun in 2021.
In October 2025, he was involved in a serious incident on a street in Aberdeen, where he was seen on top of her. Greer was also seen repeatedly hitting her with the handset from a public phone. Greer was arrested and then released on bail and issued an order not to go near and put a curfew requiring him to wear an electronic tag.