In a case that shocked the nation, a young estate agent was lured to a property viewing only to be kidnapped and held prisoner inside a makeshift coffin for more than a week, with her captor threatening to electrocute her if she tried to escape.
The Fateful Viewing That Became a Nightmare
On a seemingly ordinary day in 1992, 25-year-old Stephanie Slater, a popular and outgoing agent from Great Barr in the West Midlands, went to meet a potential buyer at a property in Birmingham. The man introduced himself as 'Bob Southall', but he was in fact Michael Sams, a tool maker with sinister intentions.
His ruse was short-lived. Sams attacked Stephanie at knifepoint inside the property, dragging her into a vehicle. He then drove her to his workshop in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where her true nightmare began.
Eight Days of Terror in a Coffin-Style Box
Upon arrival, Sams blindfolded and gagged Stephanie, placed her in handcuffs, bound her feet, and forced her into a wooden coffin-style box. This box was then pushed inside a locked wheelie bin.
"It was freezing cold. You're in absolute agony, and you're terrified for your life," Stephanie later recalled, describing the fear as "indescribable". During her eight-day captivity, Sams would only occasionally let her out to eat. To ensure her compliance, he pushed electrodes up her trousers and warned she would be electrocuted if she attempted to flee.
Fearing for her life, Stephanie courageously tried to build a rapport with her kidnapper. She described how his demeanour transformed during the initial attack: "He just looked absolutely evil. He suddenly came flying at me through the air. I can remember seeing flashes of silver."
The Ransom, Release, and a Chilling Connection
Stephanie was finally released after her employer, Shipways Estate Agency, paid a £175,000 ransom. Sams dropped her two streets from her home. The physical toll was severe; she could barely walk or see due to the restraints used on her.
Sams avoided arrest until his first wife recognised his voice on a BBC Crimewatch telephone recording. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and imprisoning Stephanie in 1993. Crucially, Stephanie later helped convict him for the 1991 murder of 18-year-old Julie Dart from Leeds.
Julie Dart had been kidnapped by Sams six months earlier, subjected to a similar ordeal in a coffin-like box, and then murdered with a hammer after writing a ransom note. Sams chillingly later claimed this was a "practice run" for Stephanie's kidnapping, admitting he had initially planned to kill the estate agent too.
Legacy of a Survivor
Michael Sams was sentenced to life in prison and is now 80 years old. Tragically, Stephanie Slater died in 2017 at the age of 50 following a battle with cancer.
Prior to her death, she authored a book about her experience and worked extensively with police forces, advising them on how to deal with kidnap survivors. She also provided direct support to other survivors, helping them recover from their own traumatic ordeals, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and advocacy born from unimaginable horror.
