A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a Microsoft manager who was found drowned near a private members' club. Nelio Gouveia, 45, admitted to killing Jennifer Symonds, 44, in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on March 6.
Gouveia appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, where he entered his plea. He was dressed in a grey prison tracksuit and was assisted by a Portuguese interpreter. His head was bowed during the brief hearing.
Judge Ian Pringle remanded Gouveia in custody. He is scheduled to appear at Oxford Crown Court for sentencing on November 20. Judge Pringle indicated that the sentencing hearing would be handled by a High Court judge, Mr. Justice Jay, a practice typically reserved for the most serious offenses, including murder.
Three friends of Ms. Symonds, who were present in court, appeared emotional following the guilty plea. Thames Valley Police initiated a murder investigation after being called to Phyllis Court Drive on March 6. A post-mortem examination determined that Ms. Symonds died from drowning.
According to CCTV footage, Ms. Symonds was last seen at a Mediterranean-style bistro in Henley-on-Thames at 9:05 p.m. the night before she was found. She was accompanied by a male friend and was wearing a full-length black jacket. She briefly spoke with a staff member before leaving the establishment.
Her body was discovered at 7:50 a.m. the following morning within the grounds of the Phyllis Court Club, a private members' club situated next to the River Thames, approximately half a mile from the bistro. Ms. Symonds had been employed by Microsoft since 2018, most recently serving as a senior customer success account manager at the company's UK headquarters in Reading. She had previously studied physical geography at the University of Gloucestershire, where she captained the hockey team. Following her death, friends requested that any floral tributes be left at a bench at Red Lion Lawn, which they described as her favorite spot.