A man has pleaded guilty to murdering a Microsoft manager who was found drowned next to a private members’ club
Nelio Gouveia, 45, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, October 29, where he admitted to fatally attacking Jennifer Symonds, 44, in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on March 6.
Gouveia, of Henley-on-Thames, was remanded in custody by Judge Ian Pringle and will next appear at Oxford Crown Court for sentencing on November 20.
Judge Pringle said the sentencing hearing will be ‘retained by a High Court judge’, Mr Justice Jay – a move normally reserved for the most serious offences, typically murder.
Thames Valley Police launched a murder investigation after being called to Phyllis Court Drive, next to Phyllis Court Club, a private members’ club next to the River Thames.
Gouveia is understood to have worked as a kitchen porter at the club.
Thames Valley Police said today the pair were known to each other.
A post-mortem examination found that Ms Symonds died from drowning.
Ms Symonds was seen on CCTV at a Mediterranean-style bistro in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, at 9.05 pm the night before she was found dead, accompanied by a male friend.
She was seen wearing a full-length black jacket and chatting briefly to a member of staff who tells her that the kitchen had just closed for the evening.
She waves her hand in thanks, turns and leaves.
Her body was found at 7.50 am the following morning within the grounds of the private members’ club, located about half a mile from the restaurant.
Ms Symonds had worked for Microsoft since 2018, according to LinkedIn.
Her most recent position was senior customer success account manager at the tech firm’s UK headquarters in Reading, but she had been made redundant in January 2025.
A friend said: ‘She was finding it tough to get a new job after Microsoft and felt that her life had begun to unravel slightly.
‘She told me that she’d been to court last summer after accusing a former partner of assault, but he ended up being cleared.
‘I think Jennifer found that hard to take as well. Recently she’d been struggling with her mental health due to being out of work.
‘But she was a really lovely, warm-hearted person who loved to chat to people around town. She was very well-liked.’