- Couple married in Islamic ceremony after she converted to the faith, court told
- But their relationship was volatile and they argued after a party this year
- Wife's body was then found with terrible injuries in a Yorkshire woodland
- Her husband and his friend are on trial for murder. His mother also faces charge
A mother-of-four was brutally murdered by her husband after she continued to see a friend he forbade her from visiting, a court has heard.
Sinead Wooding, 26, was found dead in woodland in Leeds earlier this year. Her husband, Akshar Ali, is on trial for her murder.
A court heard this week how Ms Wooding had converted to the Muslim faith before meeting Ali, who she married in an Islamic ceremony in February 2015.
But the couple had a 'volatile' relationship and Ali ordered her not to visit family members and a female friend, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Ali, 27, and his friend Yasmin Ahmed are on trial for murdering Ms Wooding in a knife and hammer attack.
The victim's mother-in-law and brother-in-law are accused of helping to dispose of her body.
The victim's mother-in-law and brother-in-law are accused of helping to dispose of her body.
Sinead Wooding's was found dead with horrific injuries in woodland after she defied her husband's demands, a court heard
The court heard Ms Wooding had started to convert to the Islamic faith and changed her name to Zakirah before she met Ali, who worked on a food stall at Leeds indoor market.
The court heard the couple signed a marriage contract after an Islamic Nikah ceremony in February 2015.
Prosecutor Nicholas Campbell QC: 'It was a volatile and sometimes violent relationship.'
The court heard Ms Wooding and Ali, of Potternewton, Leeds, had argued after drinking during a party on Thursday May 11.
Her burnt body was then discovered in woodland in the Adel area of Leeds on Sunday May 14.
She had been stabbed several times and struck repeatedly about the head.
A Home Office pathologist concluded several skull fractures were caused by at least one claw hammer.
It is thought that before taking her body into the woods to set it ablaze it was kept for two days in Ahmed's cellar, the court heard.
Prosecutor Mr Campbell said a blood stain on the cellar floor along with numerous blood spots on walls matched Sinead's DNA.
A neighbour spotted two people loading the body of a mother-of-four wrapped in a carpet into a car, a jury was told.
Student Lydia Gunning saw a man and a woman believed to be Ali and his friend Ahmed, dumping the body into the boot of a Volkswagen Golf, the court heard.
Ahmed was then seen driving away from Reginald Mount in Leeds, with Ali in the passenger's seat, the prosecutor said.
Ali and Ahmed both deny murder.
Ali's 45-year-old mother Aktahr Bi, of Leeds, denies assisting an offender by making arrangements to dispose of Sinead Wooding's corpse.
Ali's 21-year-old brother Asim Ali, Leeds, denies assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal and burning of her body.
Yasmin Ahmed's friend Vicky Briggs aged 25, of Leeds, denies assisting an offender by helping clean up and burn material after the murder.
The Muslim convert's badly disfigured body was found with six stab wounds to the chest and there was evidence of 12 blows to her head caused by the hammer, the jury was told.
Ali and Ahmed are alleged to have hidden her body in his cellar for two days before wrapping it in a carpet and driving to secluded woodland, where they set it on fire in the early hours of May 14.
Prosecutor Nicholas Campbell QC told the jury: 'At 11.30am on Saturday morning (May 13) the officer expected to speak to Sinead Wooding but found Akshar Ali at the address with Sinead's older children.
'He told the officer the other children were being looked after by his mother because Sinead Wooding hadn't come home.
'He told the officer that this happened frequently when she was drinking.
'The officer asked questions about the night the call was made and asked questions to the children.
'He spoke to his superiors and advised Akshar Ali that he should contact the police if she didn't come home within 24 hours.'
The prosecution claim Ali and Ahmed were trying to cover their tracks on the morning of May 14, by frantically calling and texting Ms Wooding's phone and those of her friends and family members.
At 5.15am Ahmed sent a text message to his wife's phone, which read: 'Hey babes where are you? It's not funny now. Please call me or Ali.
'We're all starting to get worried. Kids keep asking for you. Please come home or at least get in touch xxx.'
The court heard Ali frantically called and texted Sinead's phone after the police visit and also contacted her friends and family members.
Ms Wooding's burned body was found by joggers in woodland and later the same day Ali was arrested and charged with his wife's murder.
Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday 16 May and charged with the same crime.
Ali's 45-year-old mother Aktahr Bi denies assisting an offender by making arrangements to dispose of Ms Wooding's corpse.
Ali's 21-year-old brother Asim Ali denies assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal and burning of her body.
Yasmin Ahmed's friend Vicky Briggs, 25, denies assisting an offender by helping clean up and burn material after the murder.
Ali and Ahmed are alleged to have hidden her body in his cellar for two days before wrapping it in a carpet and driving to secluded woodland, where they set it on fire in the early hours of May 14.
Prosecutor Nicholas Campbell QC told the jury: 'At 11.30am on Saturday morning (May 13) the officer expected to speak to Sinead Wooding but found Akshar Ali at the address with Sinead's older children.
'He told the officer the other children were being looked after by his mother because Sinead Wooding hadn't come home.
'He told the officer that this happened frequently when she was drinking.
'The officer asked questions about the night the call was made and asked questions to the children.
'He spoke to his superiors and advised Akshar Ali that he should contact the police if she didn't come home within 24 hours.'
The prosecution claim Ali and Ahmed were trying to cover their tracks on the morning of May 14, by frantically calling and texting Ms Wooding's phone and those of her friends and family members.
At 5.15am Ahmed sent a text message to his wife's phone, which read: 'Hey babes where are you? It's not funny now. Please call me or Ali.
'We're all starting to get worried. Kids keep asking for you. Please come home or at least get in touch xxx.'
The court heard Ali frantically called and texted Sinead's phone after the police visit and also contacted her friends and family members.
Ms Wooding's burned body was found by joggers in woodland and later the same day Ali was arrested and charged with his wife's murder.
Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday 16 May and charged with the same crime.
Ali's 45-year-old mother Aktahr Bi denies assisting an offender by making arrangements to dispose of Ms Wooding's corpse.
Ali's 21-year-old brother Asim Ali denies assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal and burning of her body.
Yasmin Ahmed's friend Vicky Briggs, 25, denies assisting an offender by helping clean up and burn material after the murder.
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