An IT specialist who murdered a Cricklewood woman he met on a dating website and dumped her body in a suitcase has been jailed for life, writes Lorraine King. The decomposed remains of 37-year-old Leah Questin, of Sneyd Road, was found in the suitcase in

An IT specialist who murdered a Cricklewood woman he met on a dating website and dumped her body in a suitcase has been jailed for life, writes Lorraine King.

The decomposed remains of 37-year-old Leah Questin, of Sneyd Road, was found in the suitcase in a dried up pond in Kent on September 24 last year.

The Filipino, who worked at the Lansdowne Care Home in Claremont Road, Cricklewood, had answered an advert by Clinton Bailey, 36, from Brockley, south London, on Gumtree and they started a seeing each other.

During their four-week relationship Bailey persuaded Ms Questin to dedicate her time to him even though he already had a girlfriend.

Bailey, who has been described as a fantasist, persuaded him to lend her money when ever he needed it.

On September 12 last year, Ms Questin sent a text to her best friend which was the last time anyone ever heard from her again.

A few days later, a concerned friend reported her as a missing person.

On September 24, a badly decomposed body surrounded by air fresheners was found in a suitcase which was later indentified as Ms Questin.

A post mortem was unable to indentify how she died.

Detectives investigating the murder found an Internet link between Ms Questin and Bailey and they discovered he had used a series of cash machines to drain her savings between September 12 and 21.

He also kept Ms Questin's phone and had sent messages pretending to be from her to her concerned friends and he had also used her Oyster Travelcard during the same period.

Bailey was arrested after the suitcase and padlock in which the boy had been found was bought from a shop in south London by a man matching Bailey's description.

During the two-week murder trial he refused to say how Ms Questin died and did not give evidence in court.

However, his barrister argued that they was no evidence that Ms Questin had been murdered.

He had already admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a corpse and was sentenced to five years in jail.

His sentence will run concurrently.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, of the Metropolitan Police Service Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: "I would like to send my respects and thanks to Leah's friends and family for the support and courage that they have shown throughout the trial and investigation.

"There is no excuse or explanation for Clinton Bailey's actions.