Man who killed bride on their wedding night and stuffed body in suitcase is jailed for life

A 46-year-old man, Thomas Nutt, who killed his wife on their wedding night and stuffed her body into a suitcase, has been handed a life sentence.

Nutt punched and then strangled his wife, Dawn Walker, just hours after they tied the knot, on October 27, 2021. He hid her body in a cupboard before transferring it to a suitcase and dumping it in the bushes behind their home in Lightcliffe, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Nutt then rang the police on October 31st, claiming his wife had gone missing that morning from their home.

The trial into the horror killing heard how Nutt killed Dawn sometime between October 27 the couple’s wedding day and October 31, 2021, but the judge later said the killing took place on their wedding night itself.

Nutt was convicted of her murder earlier this month and sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Friday, August 19. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years, less the 289 days he had spent on remand.

Sentencing, his Honour Judge Johnathan Rose told Nutt,

“The impact of the sudden and violent death at a time which should have been filled with happiness will no doubt have an effect on those that knew her. The victim impact statements lay bare how this has been for them.

Dawn Walker died because you are a bully, used to getting your own way with women, used to controlling and manipulating women and used to using your considerable size advantage to inflict violence on women if you considered it necessary to do so.”

He went on to explain why he believed the murder took place on the night of their wedding.

“I am quite sure that is the night you killed her. She didn’t answer calls from Kiera on morning of 28th. It was said she had lost her phone in the pub. There was no way of knowing whether that was true or whether you disposed of the phone.

“I am satisfied the texts sent to Kiera at 1am were sent by you. Kiera said the text was not in the language or style of her mother and of your admission you text her pretending to be Dawn on 31st October. Malcolm Crawshaw said at 11pm that evening he heard noises, bumps and thumps. He heard no voices. This went on for about an hour before there was quiet for the rest of the night.” He said.

Judge Rose outlined the lengths Nutt went to cover his tracks, including resisting pressure to ring the police at first and trying to hide the tracks left by the case he dragged her body out in.