Man impersonates wife in texts after murder, buries body under garden bed

A man from Wales who killed his estranged wife at home has received his sentence.

Alireza Askari, 42, confessed to the crime during a January hearing, according to various reports.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 26 years to serve.

Paria Veisi, 37, went missing from Cardiff on April 12, 2025. A week later, her body was discovered in the garden of the home she had shared with her spouse.

The court disclosed that Veisi was interred in a makeshift grave where a pond used to be. Patio stones, dirt, and fresh flowers were used to conceal the site, as per BBC, The Guardian, and Wales Online. At the time, Askari was not residing at that location.

Askari's aunt, Maryam Delavary, 48, confessed to helping him dispose of Veisi's corpse.

She was given a five years and six months prison sentence, with Judge Mrs. Justice Stacey remarking, "you were in it together."

An examination of Veisi's remains showed four stab wounds to the neck and two slash cuts.

Following the murder, Askari changed his attire and visited a nearby leisure venue. He also stopped at a market to purchase bleach and cleaning supplies to tidy the crime scene.

A power washer was used by Askari to clean the scene, and he acquired plants to hide Veisi's burial place.

After a concern about her location was raised by a friend of Veisi, the police conducted a welfare check. Askari and Delavary claimed they were unaware of her whereabouts, stating she had a boyfriend in Iran, according to BBC.

Additionally, he sent text messages from Veisi's phone to her supervisor and relatives, indicating she was departing the United Kingdom and that her phone would be disconnected for one to two months.

During Askari's arrest on murder charges, he protested his innocence, claiming to be a "diagnosed schizophrenic" and "hearing voices in my head," as reported by the BBC.

Justice Stacey strongly criticized Askari's attempt at a mental health defense, accusing him of "cynically trying to use the disability excuse," according to the outlet.

Veisi's sister, Heliya Veisi, delivered an impact statement at the sentencing, stating that "irreversible suffering has been inflicted on our family," as reported by the BBC.

Heliya recalled her final video call with her sister, noting "how lovely her hair appeared, unaware that it was the last time I would see her face and hear her voice."