Lightcliffe murder: Thomas Nutt who put dead wife Dawn Walker in suitcase jailed for life

Thomas Nutt, 46, of Shirley Grove has been told he must serve a minimum of 21 years by a judge at Bradford Crown Court for the killing of Dawn Walker.

Nutt was found guilty of strangling 52-year-old grandmother Dawn just hours after their register office wedding last October following a trial last week.

He had admitted manslaughter, claiming he never intended to kill or seriously harm his wife, but a jury rejected his attempts to blame her and convicted him of murder.

They had heard that, after killing his wife at their home in Shirley Grove, Nutt acted out a “ghastly charade” which included sending false text messages and driving her youngest daughter around the area pretending to be looking for her “missing” mum.

While his wife’s body was stored at the property, Nutt took their caravan to Skegness on a supposed “honeymoon” trip.

On Halloween last year, Nutt reported his wife missing to police but he was later caught on camera as he tried to dispose of her body when he realised the house was going to be searched.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of him pulling the suitcase through his back garden and "chucking" it over a fence before abandoning it in nearby undergrowth.

In a victim impact statement, her youngest daughter Kiera Guest described Dawn as “the most beautiful soul” whose dreams and ambitions had been taken away from her.

She said what Nutt had done to her mum was beyond cruel and added: “He took me and my son looking for her knowing she was dead.”

She said Nutt even took them back to the house for lunch while her mum’s body was still stored in a cupboard.

“I will never forgive you and never forget what you caused,” she told Nutt across the courtroom.

“Justice will be served for my beautiful mother.”

Jailing Nutt today, Judge Jonathan Rose said Nutt, who had a history of violence towards Dawn Walker and a previous partner, had demanded subservience from her and he had used his size, strength and character to malign effect for many years.

The court heard that Nutt had been convicted of GBH when he was just 17 and he had also served long prison sentenced for robberies in the 1990s.

Judge Rose said he was quite satisfied that Nutt had murdered his wife on their wedding night when he lost his temper although the reason why remained a mystery.

“You behaviour in going out with Kiera and others ostensibly to look for Dawn was persistent, misleading and cruel,” he told Nutt.

“You treated her body with no respect whatsoever.”

The judge explained that Nutt will have to serve a minimum of 21 years in jail before he could be considered for release by the Parole Board, but he would only be released if they decided it was safe to do so.

“You have maligned Mrs Walker and attempted to use her mental illness to save yourself and I find you to be without remorse,” said the judge.