Mother strangled by ex-boyfriend who hid in her loft
A JILTED boyfriend murdered the mother of his child after he hid in her attic overnight and throttled her the next morning.
William Mack attacked Leanne Wall on the landing when she woke and strangled her with a belt
William Mack, 39, attacked Leanne Wall, 36, on the landing when she woke and strangled her with a belt.
Officers found her body on the bed in the home she shared with the couple’s 16-month-old daughter Elise in Bury, Greater Manchester, after concerned neighbours called the police.
The toddler was unharmed and Mack was detained after being found wandering on the hard shoulder of the nearby M60.
Mack, who originally denied murder, wept as he changed his plea to guilty at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday. He will be sentenced next week.
Leanne, a business risk coordinator at a wealth management company, is thought to have split with Mack in the weeks before her death in February.
She was at work when Mack turned up at the 1950s semidetached house with food and water and broke in before sneaking into the loft and lying in wait.
Mack, who originally denied murder, wept as he changed his plea to guilty
It is understood that she spent the evening watching TV before going to bed. She woke at 7am and went to tend to her daughter, only to find Mack on the landing.
Prosecutor Shazia Aslam told an earlier hearing that Mack “headbutted” Leanne then used his “hand and a belt to compress her neck”.
Mack is said to have checked on his daughter before phoning Leanne’s father to tell him to come and collect the toddler.
The body was found in Bury, Greater Manchester, after concerned neighbours called the police
Elise is now being cared for by her grandparents Brian and Karen Wall. In a statement, they described Leanne as a “hardworking mum with a big heart”.
They added: “She was a loving mother, daughter and sister and a great friend to so many.
“Leanne was fun-loving and hard-working. She will be forever missed.”
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the case amid reports that Leanne had previously called officers for help.