Body in bag victim ‘was a wonderful mother’

A WOMAN who was killed by her partner and left in a suitcase in their garage in Holmfirth was an “absolutely wonderful mother”, a jury was told today.

Marie Stewart, 30, was described as “loving” and “caring” with her two children at the “forefront of her mind”.

Miss Stewart’s partner, Andrew Lindo, 29, has admitted killing Miss Stewart, telling police he strangled, battered and stabbed her before putting her in a suitcase and leaving it in their garage.

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Music teacher Lindo admits manslaughter but denies murder at Bradford Crown Court.

He claims he killed Miss Stewart to protect his daughter, who he claims was being mistreated.

Prosecutors have said there is no truth to this allegation.

Today, Amanda Utley, who was in a relationship with the victim’s father Robert, told the jury how she believed the defendant and Miss Stewart were “perfectly happy”.

She said they were “coping reasonably well” despite the pressures of moving to a new house with a newborn child.

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Asked to describe her, Miss Utley said: “Loving, caring. The children was always at the forefront of her mind. They were her world.

“She was an absolutely wonderful mother, always doing things with the children, talking about them a lot, their progress.”

She said there was talk of Miss Stewart suffering from post-natal depression and it was agreed she would raise the matter in a “general conversation”.

But Miss Utley told the jury that Miss Stewart was a “very private person” and she “didn’t get anything from her”.

Prosecutors allege Lindo murdered Miss Stewart on December 18.

The jury has heard that Miss Stewart’s body was found on February 13 after which Lindo was arrested.