Sinead Wooding: Husband Akshar Ali guilty of murder

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Sinead WoodingImage source, West Yorkshire Police
Image caption,

Sinead Wooding's husband Akshar Ali was found guilty of her murder

A "woman beater" who stabbed his wife and bludgeoned her with a hammer before setting her body alight has been found guilty of murder.

Sinead Wooding, 26, was found dumped in woodland outside Leeds on 14 May.

Husband Akshar Ali, 27, who had a history of domestic violence, stabbed the mother-of-four six times alongside accomplice Yasmin Ahmed.

The pair had denied murder but were convicted after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

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Ms Wooding was attacked at Ahmed's home in Reginald Mount, Potternewton.

During the trial, the court heard how Ms Wooding was "struck while kneeling" with blood spots being found on the cellar wall.

The room had been swept and walls wiped down, and attempts were made to cover up a large bloodstain in the centre of the floor.

Image caption,

Sinead Wooding's body was discovered by joggers near Alwoodley Crags car park in Stairfoot Lane

A student who lived next door to Ahmed told the court she saw a man and a woman carrying "what appeared to be a body" wrapped in a covering and placed in the boot of a car on the morning of 14 May.

Ms Woodings remains were later found by joggers at Alwoodley Crags.

Ali, of Scott Hall Road, Leeds, was described during the trial as a "woman beater" who had badgered another woman for sex days before his wife's murder.

It emerged in court that Ms Wooding had made a 999 call to West Yorkshire Police on 10 May.

The force later referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in June.

Image source, PA
Image caption,

Akshar Ali will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday

Ali's mother Aktahr Bi, 45, denied assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal of Ms Wooding's corpse and was found not guilty.

His brother Asim Ali, 21, denied assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal and burning of her body and was also found not guilty.

A fifth defendant, Vicky Briggs, 25, of Throstle Road, Middleton was found guilty of assisting an offender by helping to clean up and burn material after the murder

Ali, Ahmed and Briggs are due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

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