Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Tuesday 8th April 2025 at 17:15hrs
Wahib Albaradan, 37, of Dearnley Street, Dewsbury, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years and six months for the murder of his partner, 27-year-old Salam Alshara.
The sentence was handed down at Leeds Crown Court today (Tuesday, April 8th), following Albaradan’s guilty plea to the murder at a previous hearing on Monday, March 31st.
The court heard harrowing details of the incident that occurred on the evening of Sunday, November 19th, 2023, at the couple’s home on Dearnley Street.
Albaradan inflicted fatal stab wounds on Salam with a knife before fleeing the scene.
Despite the swift arrival of emergency services, including specially trained police, paramedics, and a doctor, Salam tragically passed away at the scene due to the severity of her injuries.
A major investigation and manhunt were immediately launched by West Yorkshire Police, leading to Albaradan’s arrest later that same evening in Dewsbury.
Salam and Albaradan had moved to Dewsbury in 2021 after arriving in the UK the previous year and were reportedly well-known within their local community.
Senior Investigating Officer DCI Guy Shackleton of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team expressed his condolences and condemned the brutal crime.
He stated, “This has been an awful case in which a young woman lost her life in a dreadful attack in her family home. Despite swift medical attention, the very serious injuries she sustained meant she could not be saved.”
He commended the swift action of his team, saying,
“A significant police investigation was swiftly launched by detectives and uniformed police officers. A large-scale search in Dewsbury led to officers locating Albaradan in the street in Dewsbury later that same evening.”
DCI Shackleton emphasized the tragic loss of a young woman who had sought a better life in the UK. “Salam was a young woman who had come to the UK for a better life and was well regarded and respected by people who knew her from the new family life she was creating in Dewsbury.”
He concluded, “Albaradan will now spend many years in custody for the savage injuries he inflicted on his partner in the place she should have felt most safe.
Even though he has been punished, we are conscious this will not fill the huge hole Salam’s loss has left in the hearts of her family and friends, and our thoughts are with them at this time.”
In a heartfelt tribute read out in court, Salam’s family spoke of their profound grief and the lasting impact of their loss.
“The loss of Salam has impacted greatly on us as a family, leaving us all traumatised. Salam was the youngest daughter in our family and had the kindest of hearts.”
They highlighted the devastating consequences for Salam’s children, stating,
“The tragic loss of her life has now left her children without a mother and our family without a daughter and a sister. We hope that one day in the future we can all be reunited as a family.”
The sentencing brings an end to the immediate legal proceedings, but the profound impact of this tragic domestic assault will undoubtedly be felt within the Dewsbury community and by Salam’s loved ones for years to come.
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