“Your selfish pride fuelled your anger,” said Judge Timothy Spencer QC, as he gave Ashwin Daudia, 51, a life sentence with a minimum of 18 years behind bars, for strangling ex-wife Kiran Daudia with her own scarf. “In my judgement, you were arrogant, bullying, and bent upon maintaining control,” the judge said as he passed the sentence. Judge Spencer also added, “In short, I'm quite satisfied the course of destruction of your family was a course charted by you.”
Leicester Crown Court heard that Kiran, 46, was reported missing by her family on January 16, when she didn't return home from work. Authorities were called who spoke to Daudia, who in turn claimed he hadn't seen her. Soon, a missing person enquiry was initiated and it was during a perimeter search that the police found Kiran's phone wrapped in two plastic bags on the roof of a business premises. On January 17, the police received a call from a neighbour who found a suitcase abandoned in their back yard in a neighbouring street.
Investigation found drag marks from Daudia's home address to the yard. The case was strengthened when CCTV footage of the accused pulling the suitcase through the streets on the evening of January 16 was recovered. Daudia was consequently arrested and interviewed by officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, and charged with Kiran's murder two days after her death. Detective Sergeant Mark Wesley said, “The evidence against Daudia was overwhelming, with CCTV work and forensic examinations helping us to build a strong case against him. He was solely responsible for the death of his ex-wife. Kiran had her family at the heart of everything she did.” Wesley added, “Through his own selfish, cowardly actions, Daudia ripped this family apart, leaving two doting sons without a mother and other family members distraught and struggling to get over the pain and heartache he has caused.”
The court heard that Daudia resort to the extreme step as he was due to be kicked out of the home he shared with the deceased. The couple, who had an arranged marriage in 1998, continued to live together even after their divorce in 2014. However, their home was sold to Kiran's sister, and Daudia was to move out on January 16 last year.
The victim's family issued a statement following the verdict. They wrote, “Kiran was full of life, with a vibrant personality, a loving, caring mother, and a very thoughtful daughter, sister, and aunt. She was the backbone of the family, very kind, generous, and angelic.” They also said, “We cannot thank enough for the support given to us throughout this difficult time and we would like to especially thank East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit including Senior Investigating Officer DI Simon Shuttleworth, officer in the case DS Mark Wesley and DC Jenny Tattersall our family liaison officer, Leicestershire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.”
