Mitesh Patel, a 37-year-old pharmacist, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years for the murder of his wife, Jessica Patel. The judge described the crime as 'particularly severe', noting Patel's selfish motives and premeditation.
Patel strangled his 34-year-old wife with a plastic bag at their home in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, after a five-year plot. He had subdued her with an insulin injection and researched strangulation and insulin effects online. His aim was to start a new life with his boyfriend in Australia and use Jessica's frozen embryos to have a family.
The court heard that Patel had been in love with another man for six years and had casual sex with men from Grindr. He stood to inherit £2m from life insurance policies on Jessica's death. After the murder, he staged a burglary to mislead police, but his iPhone health app revealed his frantic activity, while Jessica's phone remained still until after her death.
Jessica's sister, Divya, condemned Patel's actions as 'evil, cruel and malicious', stating that Jessica knew her killer and fought for her life. The jury convicted Patel in under three hours. He showed no emotion as the judge handed down the sentence.
