‘Controlling and coercive’ husband found guilty of bludgeoning wife to death

By Emily Pennink30th May 2019News EnglandCourts / Justice, Domestic Abuse / Violence, London, News England

A “controlling and coercive” husband has been found guilty of battering his wife to death with a hammer and machete.

Muhammad Javed, 59, killed mother-of-five Saeeda Hussain after he set up CCTV cameras around their home, wrongly suspecting she was having an affair.

On February 13 last year, he hacked and bludgeoned her to death in the living room of their home in Ilford, east London, before handing himself in to police.

An Old Bailey jury deliberated for half a day to find Javed guilty of murder.

Prosecutor Julian Evans had told the court Javed (pictured) had been violent and “behaved in a controlling and coercive manner” towards his 53-year-old wife during their marriage of more than 30 years.

He said: “Although their children were aware of this violence and the defendant’s mistreatment of his wife, the victim did not want them to report it to the police or to others outside the family.

“She feared that the defendant would be deported.

“She also feared the shame that, in her mind, such revelations would bring.”

By February last year, the couple slept in separate rooms, the Old Bailey was told.

Mr Evans said: “For some time the defendant had suspected that his wife was having an affair or was seeing other men behind his back and, say the prosecution, those suspicions of his were entirely without merit.

“Nevertheless, those suspicions led him to install CCTV cameras at the home address to monitor her behaviour.”

On February 13 last year, Javed attacked his wife with a hammer and machete, causing a large number of wounds to her face and head.

A pathologist identified 70 groups of injuries, most of which were consistent with “chopping actions with a heavy bladed weapon”, jurors were told.

There were also injuries to her hands and arms as she attempted to fend off the attack, Mr Evans said.

The pathologist estimated that there were at least 46 stab wounds and at least seven blows from the hammer.

After the killing, the defendant changed out of his blood-stained clothes, left the weapons near his wife’s body, locked the living room door, and left by a window.

He contacted his daughter’s father-in-law and told him: “You are going to hear very bad news.”

At about 6pm, Javed walked into Ilford Police Station and told an officer: “I have just killed my wife.”

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC thanked jurors for their consideration of the “terrible and tragic case”.

She remanded the defendant into custody to be sentenced on June 21.

Detective Inspector John Marriott of Scotland Yard, said: “The only person who ever thought Saeeda was cheating was Javed, and this was the product of his own warped mind.

“I have no doubt that Javed planned this assault to coincide with a time when he knew his family were away from the home. He probably donned the boiler suit, which we found blood-spattered, to avoid getting his wife’s blood on his clothes.

“Javed was controlling and violent and this escalated in the brutal murder of his wife, Saeeda. If ever a case shows the importance of contacting police if you are in, or aware of, an abusive relationship, then this is it.”