A MAN has been sentenced to life in prison after strangling his estranged wife to death with a bootlace.
Michael McDaid, 60, murdered his 53-year-old former partner Rachel at her Nottinghamshire home in July this year.
He later coldly warned one of his sons not to enter the property, saying: "You can't go in the house because I've killed her."
"Michael McDaid arrived at the family home that morning with a clear intention to murder Rachel and knew exactly how he'd do it," said Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean.
Plan
Despite living separately, McDaid often returned to the family home in Nottingham Road, Eastwood, to see their three sons and collect his work tools.
Ahead of one such visit on the morning of April 19, 2024, McDaid armed himself with a bootlace that he'd fashioned into a garotte.
He had also made arrangements for someone to look after his dog in his absence.
Michael McDaid called police and admitted he had killed his former partner (Image: Nottinghamshire Police)After parking around the corner, he waited until he knew his estranged wife would be in the house alone before entering the property and strangling her to death.
He left the scene but returned a few minutes later to find one of his sons outside, having come home from work.
After watching him try unsuccessfully to open the door to get inside, McDaid — while showing no emotion — warned his son: "You can't go in the house because I've killed her."
The son then used a ladder to climb into the property through a window and discovered his mother's body on the floor.
Admission
As this was happening, McDaid got into his van and drove away, before calling the police minutes later and telling them he'd just strangled his wife to death.
Following his admission, he then drove back to Nottingham Road, where he was arrested within a few metres of the family home.
A search of a nearby narrowboat where McDaid had been living uncovered a boot with its laces missing.
Having already openly admitted to killing his estranged wife, McDaid, of Acre Lane, Aston-on-Trent, Derby, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, July 5.
On Friday, July 12, he was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years and four months.
'We will never understand'
"In taking his former partner's life, he also deprived their three sons of a mother and destroyed their family," added DCI Dean.
"Michael McDaid betrayed the people he was supposed to care about the most and deserves the life sentence handed to him."
Prior to McDaid's sentencing, his victim's family said they were devastated at the circumstances surrounding her death.
"Rachel was the most beautiful, selfless and strongest woman," read a statement.
Rachel McDaid's family described her as 'the most beautiful, selfless and strongest woman' (Image: via Nottinghamshire Police)"There are not enough words to describe how much we loved her and how much she is missed.
"She put 100 per cent into motherhood and adored her three boys. She would be mortified if she knew they would be left without either parent.
"As a family, we were devastated to hear the brutal way in which she was taken, especially by someone she spent more than half her life with and who she loved.
"We will never understand how this could happen."
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