Geetika Goyal: Husband who stabbed wife to death jailed for life

A man who stabbed his wife to death, wrapped her body up in plastic and dumped her on a pavement has been jailed for life.

Leicester Crown Court heard Kashish Aggarwal stabbed Geetika Goyal 19 times before driving her to a nearby street to be found.

He initially told her family she had gone missing, the court was told, but later admitted murder.

Aggarwal was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years and six months in prison.

'Immense pain'

Judge Timothy Spencer, sentencing, described the stabbing as a "wicked killing".

He told the court Aggarwal, 28, killed his wife on the evening of 3 March in their home in Wintersdale Road by stabbing her multiple times in her neck and upper chest.

He said: "She must have been in immense pain.

"I strongly suspect you watched as her life evaporated."

He said after murdering her, Aggarwal wrapped her body up in plastic sheeting, put her in the boot of her car and drove to the nearby cul-de-sac of Uppingham Close.

There, he cut her from the coverings and left her on the pavement at about 20:15 BST, the court heard.

"Immediately after you returned home, you contacted her family to tell them she was not home and to ask them whether they knew where she was," the judge added.

"That was a cruel deception."

The family came round to help search for her and contacted the police to report her missing.

The 29-year-old was found dead on the street by passers-by at about 02:00 BST the next morning.

The judge said Aggarwal had attempted to cover his tracks by cleaning the crime scene, but the defendant was arrested seven hours after the body was found.

Aggarwal had also bought a ticket to fly to India on 5 March, the court was told.

Prosecutors said they could not provide a motive for the killing.

The court heard the pair had an arranged marriage in India in 2016, but had no children.

In a statement, Ms Goyal's brother told the court she was "innocent, kind and gentle".

He added: "I still can't believe after cold-bloodedly murdering my sister, he called me as if nothing had happened.

"I wish I could have done more to help her when she needed me the most."

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