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Abi Fisher: Husband jailed for life for murder of Castleford teacher Abi Fisher: Husband jailed for life for murder of Castleford teacher
(32 minutes later)
Matthew Fisher will serve a minimum term of 15 yearsMatthew 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.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 JulyAbi 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 was not 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. Prosecutor James Lake said while people were looking for Abi police had checked her phone and found searches including "why does my husband hate me?" and "is marriage counselling available on the NHS?".
Officers then discovered her husband's phone - and car - had been on the move when he claimed he was asleep, the court heard.
Fisher was seen on CCTV leaving home after 04:00 BST on 9 July and returning just before 09:30.
While he was gone, he travelled to Lancashire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, the court was told.
Police found Mrs Fisher's body in bushes near a lay-by near Brierley, South Yorkshire, on 10 July - the day after she was reported missing.
She was partly covered by shrubbery and Fisher's fingerprints were on gaffer tape near the body, the court heard.
Matthew Fisher had killed his wife and dumped her body by the time he posted this appeal on social mediaMatthew 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. Fisher went on to tell a psychiatrist he "lost it" after his wife told him she was "not happy and was going to move back in with her parents", Mr Lake said.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mrs Fisher's family asked how he could do that "to my baby girl". The defendant claimed he put his hand over his wife's mouth to try and smother her and, when that did not work, he smothered her with a T-shirt.
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. But that did not account for all Mrs Fisher's injuries, the court was told.
'Lied to our faces'
The couple, who met at high school, had been married for six years and had had their daughter after three rounds of IVF.
Reading her victim impact statement, Mrs Fisher's mother, Andrea Richardson, told Fisher, who sat with his head in his hands throughout the hearing, to "please look at me and show me some respect".
"We treated you like a son, Matthew, and you lied to our faces," she said.
"You sat there knowing you had killed my baby girl, dragged her through the undergrowth and dumped her in the woods where you used to play as a child."
Mrs Richardson and her husband, Michael, said they never felt anything was wrong in their daughter's marriage and never thought Fisher would hurt her.
Afterwards they 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.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.""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."
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this report, you can get help and advice via the BBC Action Line.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.