Kamal Ghorui
A man in the UK murdered his estranged wife before calmly going to a leisure centre to shower and later claiming that mysterious voices in his head had ordered the killing, a court has heard. The victim, Paria Veisi, 37, was stabbed multiple times at her husband Alireza Askari’s home in Cardiff after the couple had separated and she had moved out less than two weeks earlier. Prosecutors said the attack appeared to be planned, with Askari purchasing kitchen knives earlier that day. After the killing, he allegedly attempted to cover up the crime with the help of a relative, burying Veisi’s body in a makeshift grave in the garden and sending messages from her phone to make it appear she had left the country.Cardiff Crown Court heard that Veisi went to Askari’s home on Foster Drive in Penylan on April 12, 2025, following a phone call between the pair. Prosecutors said that shortly after her arrival, Askari stabbed her several times in the neck and upper chest inside the conservatory of the house.A witness who was sitting in a car outside the property at the time told investigators they heard a scream that sounded “like something from a horror film”. Prosecutors believe the scream was made by Veisi at the moment she was attacked.Veisi, originally from Iran, had recently moved out of the home and begun renting a new property in Cardiff while working as a hairdresser at a salon in Canton.Instead of immediately reporting the incident, the court heard that Askari left the property soon after the attack and drove to the David Lloyd leisure centre in Cardiff. There, he reportedly took a shower while a person who had been with him earlier waited nearby.During that time, Askari also made a phone call to a woman in Iran who prosecutors believe was his girlfriend. The unusual sequence of events, including the visit to the gym shortly after the killing, became a key detail in the prosecution’s case.Prosecutors said Askari then contacted his aunt, Maryam Delavary, who travelled from London to Cardiff to help him clean the house and dispose of the body.The pair used bleach and cleaning supplies to remove blood from the conservatory floor before digging a hole in the back garden. Veisi’s body was buried in a makeshift grave in an area that had previously been a pond. Soil, concrete patio slabs and newly purchased flowers were placed over the burial site to conceal it.To create the impression that Veisi had voluntarily left, Askari allegedly sent messages from her phone claiming she had travelled to Iran for medical reasons. Her car was also moved from its usual location.Concerned friends eventually reported Veisi missing, prompting a police investigation. Officers later searched the Foster Drive property and discovered her body buried in the garden.Askari was arrested while returning from a trip to Birmingham, where he had purchased caustic soda, a highly corrosive chemical prosecutors say he planned to use to destroy the remains.Delavary was arrested separately in London for her role in helping conceal the crime.During police questioning, Askari claimed he suffered from schizophrenia and said voices in his head had told him what actions to take. He also told investigators that an unidentified man named “Hasan” had instructed him to carry out steps that covered up the crime.Prosecutors rejected the explanation, arguing that the evidence showed planning and deliberate attempts to conceal the murder.Askari later admitted to murdering Veisi, while Delavary pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. The court is expected to deliver sentencing after hearing further submissions.
