‘Violent, volatile and manipulative’ man jailed for murdering woman whose remains were found in shallow grave in Doncaster

Dale Tarbox was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday after he was convicted of the murder of 51-year-old Susan Howells.

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Tarbox, 40, of Independent Street, Little Horton, Bradford, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years.

He was also given two years to run concurrent for preventing the lawful burial of Susan. He refused to attend court to hear the sentence.

Keith Wadsworth, 61, from Doncaster, was sentenced to three years and seven months for assisting an offender in preventing a lawful burial. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

A police investigation began in August last year when Susan was reported missing.

Susan was physically disabled and used a walking frame.

Although she lived in Harrogate, at the time of her disappearance Susan was staying with Tarbox and his partner at Independent Street, Bradford.

Neighbours reported that a woman matching Susan’s description would stay for a week at a time once every couple of months – and that her departures were generally preceded by loud arguments.

The court heard that Tarbox murdered Susan at his Bradford home on or around February 19 last year and attempted to burn her body before concealing it in the wheelie bin in his cellar.

Tarbox and his partner left the address in Bradford to live in a caravan at Whitegates, a caravan site in Dunscroft, Doncaster.

Acquaintances reported that Tarbox contacted them regularly during this time to check that the house was secure.

Tarbox returned to his Bradford home in June last year with Wadsworth, who he had met on the caravan site.

Tarbox and Wadsworth transported the wheelie bin back to Doncaster, together with other household items, and Wadsworth buried Susan’s body behind Tarbox’s caravan.

The police investigation showed that Tarbox, his partner and Wadsworth had all been withdrawing benefit money amounting to £3,500 from Susan’s Post Office bank account.

On October 4 last year, Susan’s decomposing remains were found buried in a shallow grave at Whitegates.

Inside the caravan owned by Tarbox on the site, a black Bradford City Council wheelie bin was also discovered.

Within that was an incinerator bin and what appeared to be clumps of human hair.

A walking frame was found in undergrowth nearby.

After the case, Arfaq Nabi, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Tarbox is a violent, volatile and manipulative individual.

“He has repeatedly lied about what he has done and attempted, unsuccessfully, to implicate his partner in the crime of murder.

“He took Susan’s life and then attempted to cover his tracks by burning her body.

“He also recruited another individual, Wadsworth, to assist him.

“However the jury did not believe the lies he told and he has now been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

“I hope this is of some comfort to Susan’s family.”

Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Rolfe, of North Yorkshire Police, added: “Susan regarded Tarbox as a close friend and someone she could trust, but he showed no regard for her – taking her life in a cold and callous way and then teaming up with Wadsworth to try and dispose of her body.

“He is clearly a dangerous individual.”

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