Life for businessman who hired hitmen to kill pregnant wife

A businessman who hired two hitmen to kill his heavily pregnant wife was jailed for life yesterday for conspiracy to murder.

David Cullinane, 34, left Moroccan-born Soumia, 27, in the hands of two men at a Kent railway station after becoming convinced she was having another man's child.

Mrs Cullinane's body was found "considerably disfigured" with serious head and neck injuries in Dene Park, near Tonbridge, Kent, on March 16 last year, Croydon Crown Court was told.

Gordon Hoppie, 41, and Michael Stapley, 21, who were paid £10,000 in total to kill Mrs Cullinane, were also found guilty of conspiracy to murder and were both sentenced to life imprisonment.

Two other men, Alex Woolston, 30, of Manor Fields, Putney, west London, and David Ozorio, 31, of Dawes Road, Fulham, west London, were acquitted of the same charge.

All five defendants had denied conspiracy to murder.

Cullinane was also sentenced to five years, to run concurrently, for obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty, intending to prevent him from holding an inquest. He had denied the charge.

Hoppie and Stapley, who had pleaded guilty to the same offence, were each jailed for three years to run concurrently on that charge.

Judge Neil Denison QC described the killing as a "cold blooded and callous and evil crime".

The judge told Cullinane: "You organised the murder of your pregnant wife and then led her in effect to her place of execution it is difficult to imagine a more cold-blooded and callous and evil crime."

The judge said he would recommend Cullinane serve at least 16 years in prison.