A MAN has admitted killing his former lover and stuffing her body in a suitcase.

Lawyers acting for Andrew Lindo revealed the shock confession in an appearance at Bradford Crown Court.

Lindo, a 28-year-old music teacher, has said he will admit to the manslaughter of Miss Stewart, who was the mother of two young children, when his trial takes place.

But it is expected a murder charge will be put to Lindo by the Crown Prosecution Service in August and he will face a two-week trial. He will claim he was provoked.

The court has heard that Lindo will admit killing his partner and putting her body in a suitcase at their home in Holmfirth.

Lindo has been charged with the murder of 30-year-old Miss Stewart, but during his first appearance before a judge yesterday it was confirmed by his lawyer that he would plead guilty to the manslaughter of the mother-of-two.

Ms Stewart’s body was found in a suitcase in the garage of their home in Perserverance Place last Sunday.

A post mortem showed she died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

Ms Stewart’s relatives had contacted the police weeks earlier because they had not seen her since Christmas.

They have been caring for her two children, Isobelle, three, and one-year-old Joseph.

Lindo’s case was transferred to Bradford Crown Court following an appearance before Huddersfield magistrates yesterday. He had been arrested on Sunday along with his new girlfriend, 29-year-old Angela Rylance.

She was later released without charge.

During a 20-minute preliminary hearing the Honorary Recorder of Bradford Judge James Stewart QC was told that Lindo would accept responsibility for the killing.

Lawyer Colin Byrne confirmed that provocation relating to things said and done by the deceased would be one of the issues at trial.

But he conceded that there would be no issue as to the cause of death or who perpetrated the killing.

“The defendant accepts and has accepted through the interviews that he was responsible for the killing,” said Mr Byrne.

Judge Stewart remarked that Lindo also admitted responsibility for putting Ms Stewart's body in the suitcase and the question was what caused him to kill her.

Lindo, who spoke only to confirm his name during the hearing, did not formally enter any guilty plea and a two-week trial on the murder charge has been fixed to start on August 30.

Lindo is alleged to have murdered his partner some time between December 17 last year and February 14.

There was no application for bail made on Lindo’s behalf yesterday and Judge Stewart remanded him in custody until a plea and case management hearing on June 2.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said a guilty plea to manslaughter would not be accepted.

He added: “Our inquiries are being directed very largely towards an investigation of whether we can disprove both the defence of loss of control, as it will be, and whether we can throw any light on the true, we say, factual reason for the attack and indeed whether we can narrow the date of it down.”

Judge Stewart told the defendant: “You’ve heard what’s been said Mr Lindo. Your trial will take place on the 30th of August.

“You’ll be remanded in custody until that time. You’ll have to return to this court for a plea and case management hearing on the 2nd of June.”