A COLD-HEARTED man who killed his new bride on their wedding night and stuffed her body into a suitcase is fighting to overturn his conviction for murder, the T&A can exclusively reveal.

Thomas Nutt was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years behind bars after he was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court in August of murdering Dawn Walker. He had admitted her manslaughter but denied murder.

The jury deliberated for little over three hours before finding that the scrap metal dealer, 46, of Shirley Grove, Lightcliffe, intended to kill her.

Today, a spokesman for the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in London disclosed that Nutt has lodged an appeal against his conviction.

Sentencing him to life imprisonment, Judge Jonathan Rose said Miss Walker, 52, died on her wedding night by persistent and violent acts at what should have been a time of very great happiness.

Nutt had abused her body, leaving it in a cupboard and then packing her in the suitcase and dumping her like litter.

He had put up Halloween decorations, including police tape, while Miss Walker’s body lay nearby.

Miss Walker was last seen on October 27 last year, her wedding night. No one saw her alive after that and she had no contact with anyone by phone or text after returning from the celebration at the pub.

The jury was told that a neighbour heard thuds and bumps coming from the house that night. “I am sure that you attacked Dawn Walker at this time,” Judge Rose said.

Nutt had punched her repeatedly and strangled her using significant force. The bumping sounds were likely to be him taking her downstairs to put in the cupboard.

He left Miss Walker’s body in there while he took a two-day trip to Skegness before texting her daughter Kiera, purporting to be her mother, and going out to ostensibly look for Dawn.

After Nutt rang the police to report Miss Walker missing, he put her body in a suitcase, dragged her down the garden and, in his own words, ‘chucked’ it over the fence and hid it in some bushes.

Judge Rose said he wasn’t satisfied that Nutt intended to kill Miss Walker but to cause her really serious injury.

He was a controlling and manipulating bully who dominated her with violent and controlling behaviour, culminating in the violent outburst in which she lost her life.

The Parole Board would not release him until it was satisfied that he wasn’t a danger to the public.