Sinead Wooding, 26, was bludgeoned with a claw hammer and stabbed in Leeds

A Muslim man who killed his convert wife by bludgeoning her with a claw hammer and then stabbing her was today found guilty of her murder.

Akshar Ali, 27, murdered 26-year-old Sinead Wooding with friend Yasmin Ahmed, 27, before dumping her body in woodland and setting it on fire, Leeds Crown Court was told.

A jury today unanimously found the pair guilty of murder after five days of deliberations.

The court had previously heard mother-of-four Miss Wooding had been attacked at her home in Leeds with a hammer and had been stabbed six times.

Her body was kept in a cellar for two days before being transported to woodland north of the city, the court heard.

The body had then been wrapped in a duvet and trussed up with wire before being doused with petrol.

The smouldering remains were discovered at about 9am on Sunday, May 14 by a group of students who were out for a run in the area.

Akshar Ali (pictured left), 27, murdered 26-year-old Sinead Wooding with friend Yasmin Ahmed (right), 27, before dumping her body in woodland and setting it on fire

The court had previously heard Miss Wooding had been attacked at her home in Leeds with a hammer and had been stabbed six times. Pictured: Investigators in the city last year

Crime scene investigators enter the house in Leeds following the murder in May last year

The jury also unanimously found Vicky Briggs, 25, of Leeds, guilty of assisting an offender by helping clean up and burn material after the murder.

But the jury reached a not guilty verdict on two remaining defendants accused of involvement in Miss Wooding's murder.

Ali's mother Aktahr Bi, 45, of Leeds, was found not guilty of assisting an offender by making arrangements to dispose of Miss Wooding's corpse.

And Ali's brother, Asin Ali, 21, was cleared of assisting an offender by procuring a vehicle and assisting in the disposal and burning of her body.

Mr Justice Langstaff had earlier asked the jury to continue to try and reach majority verdicts on the two remaining defendants, but later said he would accept verdicts on which at least ten of the jury agreed.

Her body was kept in a cellar for two days before being transported to woodland (pictured) north of Leeds, the court was told

A police cordon around the crime scene at Allwoodley Car Park, north of Leeds, last year

The court previously heard Miss Wooding's badly disfigured body was found with six stab wounds to the chest and there was evidence of 12 blows to her head.

In addition, the jury was told how Miss Wooding had converted to the Muslim faith before meeting Ali, whom she married in an Islamic ceremony in February 2015.

And the court also heard that Miss Wooding called police the night before she was killed but officers did not visit until three days later.