Teacher declines to take stand in body-in-suitcase murder trial

A MUSIC teacher accused of murdering his fiancée and leaving her body in a suitcase has chosen not to go into the witness box in his own defence.

Andrew Lindo told police he strangled, battered and then stabbed Marie Stewart at their home in Holmfirth, when he “lost it” following a confrontation over their young daughter. After the prosecution case ended yesterday at Bradford Crown Court, his defence barrister Robert Smith QC told the judge: “My Lord, we call no evidence.”

Mr Justice Andrew Smith asked if his client had been advised that the jury “may draw such inferences as appear proper” following his decision not to give evidence. Mr Smith replied that Lindo had been so advised “both verbally and in writing”. Lindo, 29, has admitted manslaughter but denies murdering Miss Stewart, 30 in December last year.

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Her body was found in a suitcase in the garage at Perseverance Place, Holmfirth, on February 13 after he had used phone texts and Facebook to mislead her friends and family that she had left him.

In her closing speech for the prosecution, Michelle Colborne QC told the jury Lindo’s decision not to give his account in the witness box meant he could not be asked crucial questions about his actions.

She said Lindo “was and is capable of practising monumental deceit, he lies with consummate ease and is capable of great acts of emotional and physical cruelty”.

The court heard he had “concocted” an account portraying Miss Stewart as a useless mother to their two children, as a “harridan” and a violent partner who had made his life hell. Miss Colborne suggested the reality was Miss Stewart was a devoted mother who had loved Lindo and was devastated when she found out he was having an affair but had decided to stay with him at least until Christmas for the sake of the children.

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She told the jury Lindo was leading a double life seeing his lover Angela Rylance and promising a future to her while still with Miss Stewart. He had the opportunity at that time to finish with one of them, but had not taken it.

Miss Colborne said on December 18 Lindo had not confronted Miss Stewart about her behaviour to their daughter because there had been no mistreatment by her.

“His was not a loss of control but a loss of temper. He was angry and he lost his temper spectacularly.”

She said Miss Stewart had become a “logistical problem” on a night he had invited Miss Rylance to stay at the house.

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After killing her in a prolonged attack, he had woken their two children and drove to Barnsley to collect Miss Rylance. “Having taken their mother from them that night, he uprooted them both in order that he could lie in the arms of the woman who was to take their mother’s place in his bed and in their lives.”

The trial continues on Monday.