A man who strangled his ex-wife before putting her body in a suitcase and leaving it in a rear yard has been found guilty of her murder.

Kiran Daudia, aged 46, was killed by her ex-husband Ashwin Daudia, 51, at their home in Lyme Road, Leicester, on 16 January last year.

He strangled her using her own scarf before putting her body in a suitcase, which he dragged through the streets from their home address.

He was found guilty at Leicester Crown Court today and sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years before he will be eligible for parole.

The court heard that Kiran was reported missing by her family on 16 January when she didn’t return home after leaving work. Police were called and attended the address and spoke to Daudia who claimed he hadn’t seen her.

Officers commenced a missing person enquiry and during a search of the surrounding area, they found Kiran’s phone wrapped in two plastic bags on the roof of a business premises.

Police received a call the following morning (17 January) from a member of the public who had found the suitcase abandoned it in their rear yard in a neighbouring street.

Investigations by forensic officers found drag marks from the home address to the rear yard. CCTV also recovered by officers showed Daudia pulling the suitcase through the streets on the evening of 16 January with Kiran’s body inside.

Daudia was arrested and interviewed by officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU). He was charged with her murder two days after her death.

Detective Sergeant Mark Wesley, who was part of the investigation team, said: “The evidence against Daudia was overwhelming, with CCTV work and forensic examinations helping us to build a strong case against him.

“He was solely responsible for the death of his ex-wife. Kiran had her family at the heart of everything she did.

“Through his own selfish, cowardly actions Daudia has ripped this family apart, leaving two doting sons without a mother and other family members distraught and struggling to get over the pain and heartache he has caused.”

Following today's guilty verdict in the Kiran Daudia murder trial, Kiran’s family released the following statement:

“Kiran was full of life, with a vibrant personality, a loving, caring mother and a very thoughtful daughter, sister and aunt. Her friendly and charismatic nature meant she had many friends. 

"She was simply beautiful and loved having photographs taken. She was the backbone of the family, very kind, generous and angelic.

“We as a family cannot even begin to describe the loss and emptiness in our heart. Her perpetual smile will be missed everyday of our lives by everyone who knew her. Kiran had lots of dreams and aspirations which were untimely taken away by this demonic act. Life without her will never be the same.

“We cannot thank enough for the support given to us throughout this difficult time and we would like to especially thank East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit including Senior Investigating Officer DI Simon Shuttleworth, officer in the case DS Mark Wesley and DC Jenny Tattersall our family liaison officer, Leicestershire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“They all have worked tirelessly to bring this evil person to justice. He showed no remorse in coming forward and taking responsibility for his barbaric actions.

“We would also like to thank victim support, Next Directory and our own employers, Queen Elizabeth College, Shree Hindu temple, Asian Funeral Service, our family, friends, neighbours and the public for their continuous support throughout this ordeal. We would also like to thank all those who provided CCTV to the enquiry.

“Although today there has been justice for Kiran this does not take away our heartache. Her energy will resonate with us forever. We will be living this sentence for the rest of our lives."