Man who murdered ex-wife and dumped body in suitcase jailed for life

A man who strangled his ex-wife and disposed of her body in a suitcase has been jailed for life.

Ashwin Daudia, 51, murdered Kiran Daudia on January 17 last year and dumped her body in an alleyway close to some rubbish bins.

She was found with a bin liner over her head and black plastic cable ties securing her hands behind her back and ankles behind her buttocks.

A pathologist had seen a "prominent ligature mark", believed to be caused by her own scarf, and a fractured thyroid voice box on the body of 46-year-old.

On Friday, Daudia, of Lyme Road, Leicester, sobbed as he was given a minimum term of 18 years at Leicester Crown Court.

It took the jury only two hours and 43 minutes to convict him of murder after a three-week trial.

The pair were divorced but were continuing to live together until their house was sold.

On the day of the murder, the sale of the house was due to be finalised but Daudia had not packed and had no intention of leaving.

Passing sentence, Judge Timothy Spencer QC told Daudia: "In my judgment you were arrogant, bullying and bent upon maintaining control.

"In short, I'm quite satisfied the course of destruction of your family was a course charted by you.

"Your selfish pride fuelled your anger. Kiran Daudia arrived at what should have been the safety of her own home."

Judge Spencer said he was satisfied on the evidence that Daudia attacked his ex-wife shortly after she went through the door.

He added: "You have deprived this world of a bright and vibrant woman and you have deprived your two sons of their mother."

In a victim impact statement by Daudia's son Vibek, read to the court by prosecutor William Harbage QC, he said the family's lives had been "turned upside down" and had "changed for ever".

It read: "We have lost a beautiful mother, daughter, sister and auntie in the most brutal and horrifying manner.

"Ashwin has wrecked our family. Kiran only wanted to live in peace with us.

"I have never felt so destroyed in my whole life. Why would he want to hurt us, his sons and our mother?

"Her strength will live on through us, her sons, and it is with that strength we will carry on."

Mary Prior QC, defending, said Daudia had been described as "a bit slow".

She also said he had written a letter to his children privately which had been handed to police.