A man who reported his wife missing has been sentenced to life after being found guilty of her murder. Thomas Nutt, aged 46, stood trial for the murder of Dawn Walker after the body of a woman was found in Lightcliffe, a short distance from their home.
Footage released to the jury in court showed Nutt removing Dawn’s body from the property in a suitcase. Nutt was arrested on Sunday 31 October in connection with the discovery and was subsequently charged on Tuesday 2 November with murder.
He admitted manslaughter but denied the murder charge.
Following a two-week trial at Bradford Crown Court, Nutt was found guilty of murder by a jury. He was today sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Amanda Wimbles, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Dawn Walker’s family have been left absolutely devastated by her death in such violent circumstances. This has been a dreadful crime, especially given the couple had only recently married.
“The prosecution and police rejected Nutt’s admission of manslaughter and always believed murder was the offence he should rightly stand trial for.
“Our thoughts continue to be with Dawn’s family, who have shown great dignity and strength through what has understandably been a devastating time for them. No verdict or sentence will bring Dawn back to her family. I hope however, that in getting justice they can begin to move forward with their lives.
“We encourage any victims of domestic abuse or coercive and controlling behaviour to come forward and report it to one of our specialist Safeguarding officers, who will listen and provide the necessary support.”
In a statement, read out in court, Dawn’s eldest daughter Codie said:
“Losing our mother, sister, daughter, nanna and auntie has had a huge impact on our lives. There are no words to describe how it feels for us every single day, waking up knowing what this person did to her, it is truly heart breaking for each and every one of us.
“We will have to live with his actions for the rest of our lives. Could we have done more to protect her from him? I pray he is never allowed to do this to another family. Today he is finally held accountable for his actions, and he is never allowed to abuse, manipulate or take away the life of another woman.
We would like to thank family and friends for their support during this time but also to the police and prosecution team for helping us fight for justice for Dawn. Please respect our privacy at this time as we process the outcome of today.”
