Suitcase Murder Teacher Jailed

A music teacher who killed his fiancee and put her body in a suitcase in his garage has been described by his victim's father as "a coward of the first order". Andrew Lindo, 29, was jailed for life - with a minimum term of 22 years.He strangled, battered and stabbed Marie Stewart at their home in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire - while the couple's young children were in the property.Two hours later, he put their two children in his car and went to collect one of his lovers, Angela Rylance, who he then spent the night with her in the room where the murder took place.Ms Stewart's father Robert Stewart spoke outside Bradford Crown Court after the sentence was delivered."It's difficult to imagine a more gut-wrenching experience than to be told that your daughter's body has been found dead in the garage of their family home," he said."(Lindo) has lied, misled, abused, cheated and stolen from us on a monstrous scale. He delivered an acting masterclass to the world and his unfortunate female victims."He has stopped at nothing to blacken (Marie's) name. Let me tell you all that he has failed."Andrew Lindo has blighted the lives of his children forever. It is inconceivable that this man could tell so many lies and cause untold damage to so many people."Failure to take the stand in court shows that he is also a coward of the first order.Mr Stewart also paid an emotional tribute to his daughter."Marie will live on in our hearts as a fabulous daughter, sister to Katie and a loving mum to her babies," he said.Mr Justice Andrew Smith said Lindo, who showed no emotion as he was sentenced, had shown an "extraordinary and chilling lack of remorse" following his "cruel and sustained" attack.He said the parole board would have to take into account his "extraordinary cunning and facility for deceit" before he was considered for release.Lindo admitted manslaughter but denied murder, claiming he lost control following a row in which he accused his 30-year-old victim of mistreating their daughter.The judge said the motive for the killing remained unclear, but it appeared his double life had finally caught up with him.Mr Justice Smith added: "There could hardly be a more heartless device for concealing your crime and Marie's body and if anything could add to the tragedy and loss of a daughter, sister and friend, that was calculated to do so.""I cannot tell why you killed Marie Stewart - still less why you killed her so brutally - whether there was a motive and, if so, what it was."I do not accept that you were provoked or suffering prolonged stress. But that evening you faced a crisis in the double life that you were leading.""Within minutes of the killing you were cool and calculating enough to send Angela Rylance a text message assuring her that you would collect her to bring her home."The judge said the statements from the victim's family were "truly moving".He added: "The dignity and restraint that they have shown during this trial cannot disguise the enormity of what you inflicted upon them."