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A man has been jailed for murdering the wife of a primary school teacher just six months after she gave birth to their daughter. Abi Fisher, 29, was found dead in undergrowth on a road near a South Yorkshire village earlier this year. Matthew Fisher, who was jailed for 15 years on Thursday, lied to police and said he woke up to find his wife missing. She claimed she had been upset the night before because she was due to return to work after maternity leave. Officers found the 30-year-old’s vehicle had been driven away from their home when he claimed to be asleep, a sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday. Fisher eventually told a psychiatrist that Mrs Fisher fell down the stairs and when he went to check on her, he “lost it” when she told him she wanted to leave him and choked her with a T-shirt. However, the court heard that a pathologist did not find his admission of all blunt force trauma injuries to her face, skull and abdomen. Ms Fisher was reported missing from her home in Castleford, West Yorkshire, at 10.27am. on Saturday July 9. Her husband posted on Facebook moments later: “Has anyone seen Abi? If you can, please let me know or ask her to give me a ring?’ Leeds Crown Court heard that Fisher, who has previously pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, drove her body and dumped her wearing it in the woods where she played as a child. Her body was found in just her underwear near Brierly, more than 12 miles from their home. Abby Fisher was found dead earlier this year (West Yorkshire Police/SWNS) Prosecutor James Lake told the court that while Ms Fisher’s parents were at her husband’s home, he was searching police and news websites to see if her body had been found. Mr Lake said police also found searches on her phone such as “why does my husband hate me?” and “Is marriage counseling available on the NHS?” He said Fisher’s car was seen on CCTV leaving Castleford after 4am on July 9 and was seen driving along the M62 before crossing into South Yorkshire. Fisher’s fingerprints were found on gaffer tape near his wife’s body. Ms Fisher’s devastated mother Andrea Richardson, who insisted Fisher was present in court so she could speak to him, read an emotional victim impact statement. He told Fisher: “We treated you like a son and you lied to us. You heard me say that I was hoping she had postnatal depression as it could be treated. “You sat there and said nothing, knowing you had killed my little girl, dragged her into the undergrowth and dumped her in the woods where you played as a child. “Everyone was desperate to find our daughter and you knew she was dead. You did this to us, you killed our baby. He loved life, he loved you. Matthew Fisher, jailed for at least 15 years (West Yorkshire Police/SWNS) “Her death changed our lives immeasurably. I miss my daughter so much it’s surreal. I feel like it’s not happening. It’s some bad dream. “All things remind me of her. I can’t go a day without crying for her.” Ms Fisher was a third year teacher at Featherstone All Saints Church of England Academy near Pontefract. Headteacher Matthew Jones called her an “enthusiastic, kind and caring teacher and colleague” in a posthumous tribute. “In particular, her passion for science has inspired countless children over the years – she has made a real difference to so many lives,” he said. Sentencing Fisher to a minimum of 15 years, Judge Tom Bayliss KC said Abi’s murder was compounded by his “cruel and callous lies” to her parents. He said: “You, Matthew Fisher, killed your wife, the woman you loved, and left your little daughter without a parent to care for. “By your actions, you have taken a life and left the lives of countless others in tatters.” Additional reporting from SWNS