Husband who killed wife and buried her in the garden jailed for life

A man who stabbed his estranged wife to death in the conservatory of their former home and buried her body in a makeshift grave in the garden has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 26 years.

“- Published Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing”

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Paria Veisi, 37, disappeared from Cathays, Cardiff, on 12 April 2025 and her body was found a week later in the garden of the house she had shared with her husband in the city's Penylan suburb.

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Alireza Askari, 42, admitted murdering her at a hearing in January.

In sentencing, Mrs Justice Stacey said he did everything in his power to cover up the "cold-blooded murder."

The post mortem found four stab wounds to Veisi's neck and two slash wounds, and the pathologist said the wounds could have been caused by the smaller of the knives from the pack Askari bought on the day of the murder; that knife was missing and has never been recovered.

The court heard Veisi was buried in a temporary grave where a pond had previously been located with a new flower bed put above.

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Prosecutor William Hughes KC said Askari bought a kitchen knife earlier that day, called his aunt to come by taxi from Shepherds Bush in London to assist, used a jet washer and bought bleach, dusters, plants and soil to cover up bloodstaining and the body, and paid a waste disposal company to remove the pond lining sheet and hairdressing equipment later found to contain Veisi's blood.

CCTV placed him driving near the Storey Arms outdoor education centre in Bannau Brycheiniog national park to find a place to bury remains, and the prosecution said he travelled to Birmingham to buy chemicals in planning to "move the body and destroy it chemically."

The court found substantial evidence of planning, deception and attempts to conceal the killing.

“- Published Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing”

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Mrs Justice Stacey told Askari: "You murdered your wife in a pre-meditated plan hatched at least a month earlier," and found he lured Paria into the house, stabbed her and "she had no chance to defend herself."

Askari denied killing Veisi and claimed he was a "diagnosed schizophrenic" and was "hearing voices in my head," but the judge said she did not accept his mental health claim and accused him of "cynically" trying to play the disability card.

Askari's aunt, Maryam Delavary, 48, admitted perverting the course of justice by assisting him in disposing of Veisi's body and was jailed for five years and six months, with the judge saying "you were in it together."

Veisi's family described profound grief and loss in victim impact statements read in court.

Her sister, Heliya Veisi, said the death had "shattered our family", called Paria the "dearest and most innocent member" and said she had a "broken heart that words can not describe," recalling a last video call and saying "irreversible suffering has been imposed on our family."

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Prosecutor Hughes described Paria as a "vulnerable victim who had no defensive injuries" and said she was seen walking into the property at 16.23 BST while Askari called Delavary at 16.28, giving a five-minute window for the killing.

After the case, Det Chief Insp Matt Powell of South Wales Police paid tribute to the family, saying they had been deprived of many happy years with Paria and that she was a "much-loved lady" who would be "sorely missed by everyone."