Monster who made chilling confession after he beat mum to death & hid body in suitcase for 3 months is GUILTY of murder
A TWISTED monster who beat a mum to death then kept her body stashed in a suitcase for three months has been convicted of murder.
Matthew Waddell, 35, launched into a “frenzied and horrific attack” on ex Sarah Albone, 38, causing her catastrophic injuries.
He then dumped mum-of-three Sarah’s body in a suitcase, which he left in a wheelie bin at her home in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
In a chilling confession, the monster said “I felt nothing” as he wrote in brutal detail how he killed Sarah.
Waddell is now facing life in jail after being found guilty of murder today.
Luton Crown Court heard how on Christmas Eve – a month after the attack – Waddell sent a video message to a pal as Sarah decomposed just feet away.
He told him: “This is what Christmas is all about – a big glass of wine and James May talking about f***ing different types of cheese.”
Sarah was eventually discovered three months later on February 25 this year.
The suitcase had been wrapped in industrial clingfilm and hidden under the remains of a carpet.
When it was opened, officers found Sarah in the foetal position in her pyjamas.
A post mortem gave a cause of death as airway obstruction caused by catastrophic injuries to her head.
Sarah also had broken ribs and injuries to her body and is believed to have been killed around the end of November 2022.
The court heard the mum, who had multiple sclerosis, was punched, kicked and stamped on while getting in or out of bed.
While police searched her home, they discovered a note allegedly written by Waddell, saying: “I stamped on your head so many times I have caved your head literally, but you were still breathing.
“I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around your head. There was blood everywhere.
“I felt nothing.”
The court was told there was blood splattered on the wall by the side of Sarah’s bed.
Police also discovered a large amount had also soaked through the carpet on to the floorboards below.
Waddell had told Sarah’s family and friends she was receiving treatment at hospital and could not be contacted in a bid to cover up the crime.
He also helped himself to her bank card and sold her belongings as her body decomposed in the wheelie bin.
But he was caught after Sarah’s step-sister Corinne Foster grew suspicious of the text messages.
The couple had been together since November 2020, with the relationship described as “toxic”.
Sarah had attempted to end things in January 2021 but the relationship started up again three months later.
After a second attempt to leave Waddell, he repeatedly showed up at her home until he was arrested for harassment.
He was released on police bail with a condition not to contact her but Waddell ignored it and visited her home.
Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew said: “He had developed an obsession and could not accept she would not be part of his life.”
Waddell was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on Thursday.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridge and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: “This was a horrifically violent and despicable crime which has cost a woman her life.
“Sarah was a vulnerable woman who made several attempts to leave Waddell, but he continued to manipulate her in a bid to remain a part of her life. When he felt like he was fully losing control in the relationship, he launched his fatal attack.
“His actions did not end after the attack. He went to great lengths to try and cover up what he had done, and he continued his coercive behaviour as he lied to Sarah’s family and friends.
“My thoughts remain with Sarah’s family and her close friends at this time.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.