Husband Receives 26-Year Sentence for Brutal Murder of Estranged Wife
Alireza Askari, a 42-year-old man from Cardiff, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for the murder of his estranged wife, Paria Veisi. The horrific crime involved Askari stabbing the 37-year-old hairdressing company director to death before burying her body in a makeshift grave in their former shared garden.
Premeditated Attack in Family Home
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Askari deliberately lured his recently separated wife back to their Penylan home on April 12, 2025, under false pretenses. Prosecutors detailed how he brought Ms. Veisi into the conservatory hair salon they had once operated together before launching his fatal attack.
William Hughes KC, prosecuting, stated that Askari had purchased a set of kitchen knives from a supermarket earlier that day, which are believed to have been the murder weapons. A neighbor reported hearing a scream from the property around 4:30 PM that they described as "a sound from a horror film."
Gruesome Cover-Up Attempt
Following the murder, Askari embarked on a calculated effort to conceal his crime. He first drove to a David Lloyd leisure center to shower, then contacted his aunt, Maryam Delavary, who traveled from London to Cardiff by taxi to assist him.
The court heard that Askari made additional trips to Sainsbury's and B&Q stores, purchasing bleach, compost, and plants. Together with his aunt, he buried Ms. Veisi's body beneath patio slabs and newly planted flowers in the garden, where a pond had previously been located.
Discovery and Arrest
A concerned friend contacted South Wales Police the day after the murder, reporting that Ms. Veisi might be "being kept against her will by her ex-husband." The last confirmed sighting of the victim alive had been when she left her workplace in her £40,000 Mercedes.
Police launched a missing person investigation and arrested Askari three days later on April 15. He was apprehended while driving back to Cardiff from Birmingham with canisters containing highly corrosive caustic soda. Prosecutors asserted these chemicals were intended for the destruction of Ms. Veisi's remains.
Disturbing Evidence and Motive
During the investigation, police discovered that Askari had been texting another woman in Iran prior to the murder, believed to be his girlfriend. In one particularly chilling message, he told her: "I'm planning for them to kill her in Iran."
When officers searched Askari's property on April 18, they found Ms. Veisi's body in the garden. The post-mortem examination revealed she had been stabbed four times in the chest and neck. Her naked body had been covered with new soil and plants in what prosecutors described as an ongoing plan to remove and chemically destroy the remains.
Family's Heartbreaking Impact Statement
Hiria Veisi, the victim's sister, delivered an emotional statement to the court describing the devastating impact of the murder. "This horrific and sudden loss of Paria has shattered our family," she said. "It hurts us so deeply as a family to know that her future was taken from her in an instant. What happened to Paria must never be allowed to happen to anyone else. This pain will remain with us for the rest of our lives."
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Askari, originally from Iran, had moved to the UK with Ms. Veisi in 2010, and the couple married. By April 2025, they had separated, with Ms. Veisi having moved out earlier that month and rented a chair in another salon.
Askari pleaded guilty to murder and preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body. A further charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was ordered to lie on file. His aunt, Maryam Delavary, 48, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice for her role in the cover-up.
Mrs. Justice Stacey presided over the case at Cardiff Crown Court, delivering the 26-year sentence to Askari on Friday. The case highlights the tragic consequences of domestic violence and the extreme measures some perpetrators will take to conceal their crimes.
