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| Abi Fisher: Husband jailed for life for murder of Castleford teacher | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Matthew Fisher will serve a minimum term of 15 years | Matthew Fisher will serve a minimum term of 15 years |
| A man who made a social media appeal to help find his wife hours after he had smothered her and dumped her body in bushes has been jailed for life. | A man who made a social media appeal to help find his wife hours after he had smothered her and dumped her body in bushes has been jailed for life. |
| Matthew Fisher, 30, beat and strangled Abi Fisher, 29, then left their baby alone while he bundled her body into a car and disposed of it in woodland. | |
| He then returned to the family home in Castleford, West Yorkshire, and reported her as a missing person. | He then returned to the family home in Castleford, West Yorkshire, and reported her as a missing person. |
| Fisher was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a minimum of 15 years for murder. | Fisher was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a minimum of 15 years for murder. |
| Abi Fisher, 29, was found dead on 10 July | Abi Fisher, 29, was found dead on 10 July |
| Leeds Crown Court heard Fisher told officers he had last seen primary school teacher Abi on the evening of 8 July and had woken the next day to find she wasn't there. | Leeds Crown Court heard Fisher told officers he had last seen primary school teacher Abi on the evening of 8 July and had woken the next day to find she wasn't there. |
| Hundreds of friends and colleagues joined police searches for her, with Fisher, of Walton Park Street, posting a message on Facebook pleading for help to find his his wife. | Hundreds of friends and colleagues joined police searches for her, with Fisher, of Walton Park Street, posting a message on Facebook pleading for help to find his his wife. |
| His post read: "Has anyone seen Abi, if you have can you please let me know or get her to give me a ring." | His post read: "Has anyone seen Abi, if you have can you please let me know or get her to give me a ring." |
| However, investigations showed he had travelled to an area in Brierley, South Yorkshire, where his wife's body was later found, during the time he claimed to have been in bed. | However, investigations showed he had travelled to an area in Brierley, South Yorkshire, where his wife's body was later found, during the time he claimed to have been in bed. |
| Matthew Fisher had killed his wife and dumped her body by the time he posted this appeal on social media | Matthew Fisher had killed his wife and dumped her body by the time he posted this appeal on social media |
| The court heard he had left their six-month-old daughter, who had Covid-19 at the time, while he was concealing her body. | The court heard he had left their six-month-old daughter, who had Covid-19 at the time, while he was concealing her body. |
| The couple, who met at high school, had been married for six years and had had their daughter through IVF. | The couple, who met at high school, had been married for six years and had had their daughter through IVF. |
| In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mrs Fisher's family asked how he could do that "to my baby girl". | In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mrs Fisher's family asked how he could do that "to my baby girl". |
| Afterwards, Abi's parents Andrea and Michael Richardson and brother Nathan Richardson, issued a statement which thanked police and public for their help in the search. | |
| They added: "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the police who searched for Abi, our friends and family and to all the people from Castleford and surrounding areas who spent hours and hours searching for our baby girl. | |
| "You have no idea what it means to us as a family to know so many people cared enough to spend their time looking for her." | |
| Det Insp Amanda Wimbles said "Abi was someone who was loved by many" and what had happened had "shocked and devastated the local community". | |
| She added: "Matthew Fisher's actions that day have ensured that their young daughter will now grow up without either parent." | She added: "Matthew Fisher's actions that day have ensured that their young daughter will now grow up without either parent." |
| If you have been affected by the issues raised in this report, you can get help and advice via the BBC Action Line. | |
| Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. |