BIGGLESWADE MAN JAILED FOR BRUTAL PARTNER MURDER
A man who killed his partner and hid her body in a suitcase inside a wheelie bin has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years.Matthew Waddell, 35, murdered Sarah Albone at her home in Winston Crescent, in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
The family of the mother-of-three said they would live the rest of their lives in "indescribable" pain.
Judge Michael Simon said the sentence reflected the "unrestrained brutality of the attack".
He stated he had also considered the "persistence through various modes until the death was assured, her vulnerability, the domestic context and the concealment of her body".
Addressing Waddell, the judge said: "It is difficult for anyone to conceive the terror Ms Albone must have experienced and how frightened and helpless she must have felt against you." The remains of Ms Albone were discovered in a taped-up bin at her Winston Crescent address on 25 February—three months after her last sighting.
After the killing, Waddell claimed she was in hospital and receiving a treatment plan for her mental health.
The court heard that she had ended her relationship with Waddell in January 2021 because she felt he was emotionally controlling.
Waddell repeatedly returned to her home, ignored bail conditions when arrested for harassment, and on at least two occasions reported her to police.
Her body was found in a bin after her last known sighting, and Waddell denied murdering her.
He employed her phone, used her bank card, and sold her belongings to hide his involvement.
Her family expressed their grief, with one sister stating: "She was found in a bin, disposed of like a piece of rubbish, like nothing." The police announced a domestic homicide review would be conducted, recognizing the high risk of the relationship and the violence involved.
Det Ch Insp Iain Moor highlighted Waddell’s manipulative and violent behaviour, and the case has prompted calls for greater awareness and protection for victims of domestic abuse.
