Jilted lover hid in his ex-partner’s attic then jumped out and strangled her to death
Leanne Wall had no idea her former partner William Mack was lying in wait at her Whitefield home
A MOTHER was strangled with a belt by the father of her child after he hid in her attic overnight and ambushed her just weeks after they broke up.
Leanne Wall, 36, had just woken up and was going to her 16-month-old daughter’s room when she was confronted on her landing by her ex-partner William Mack.
In horrific scenes that show the degree of premeditation, unemployed Mack had snuck into the house the day before the attack.
He then laid in wait all night before confronting his former partner on morning, head-butting her and throttling her with a belt and his hands.
Miss Wall’s body was found on her bed at her Whitefield home, near Bury, Greater Manchester on February 12 after police received a call about concerns for her welfare.
The loving mother, who worked as a business risk co-ordinator at a wealth management company, is believed to have been at work when Mack arrived at the home prepared with food and water the day before.
He then broke into the home, leaving no signs of a break in, before sneaking into t
he loft and lying in wait overnight.
Miss Wall, who split with Mack in the weeks before her death in February last year, came home and is thought to have spent the evening watching TV before going to be bed - totally unaware of a killer in the attic. She woke up the following the morning at 7am and went to tend to her daughter only to find Mack standing in front of her.
Miss Shazia Aslam, prosecuting told an earlier hearing Mack 'headbutted' Leanne then used his 'hand and a belt to compress her neck'.
She said: “The cause of death was compression or strangulation.”
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It is believed Mack checked on his daughter before phoning Leanne's father to tell him to come and collect the toddler. He was later detained after being found wandering on the hard shoulder of the nearby M60 motorway.
Mack was expected to face trial later this month but admitted to the charge on Wednesday.
Mack was said to be ‘very anxious to be sentenced’, but Judge Patrick Field QC said he could not sentence him on the spot.
He said: “I have no wish to cause any unnecessary anguish, but it would not give me sufficient time to reflect.”
The couple’s young daughter, who was in the next room when the murder took place, was found unharmed and is now being cared for by her grandparents Brian and Karen.
In a statement, the devastated family of Miss Wall said Leanne was a ''hardworking mum with a big heart.''
They added: “She was loving mother, daughter and sister and a great friend to so many. Leanne was fun-loving and hard-working. She will be forever missed.”
Police watchdogs the Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the case amid reports Leanne had previously called officers for help.
Mack had originally denied the murder but wept at Manchester Crown Court as he changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday.
He is expected to be sentenced next week.