A man who dialled 999 and told the police operator he had ‘killed his wife’ was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 4 April.
Mohammed Anhar Ali, 32 (03.08.86) of John Cartwright House, Old Bethnal Green Road, E2 admitted to killing his wife, Nazia Begum Ali, 25 (28.09.93) in a brutal and prolonged attack at her home last year.
Police attended the address in Ellesmere Road, E3 minutes after the phone call was made at around 05:50hrs on Monday, 22 October.
Officers were met at the door by Ali himself who was drinking a cup of tea and fully dressed. He led the officers to the living room where Nazia’s body was found lying on the floor. Ali again admitted he had killed his wife and asked the officers to be quiet as his two young children were sleeping upstairs.
Ali was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody. Forensic tests revealed that Nazia had been dead for a number of hours before police were called to the address and, during interview, he said he had killed Nazia sometime around midnight.
An investigation by detectives from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command revealed that in November 2017, Nazia had made the decision that their two-year marriage was over and wanted a divorce. Ali had refused the divorce.
They had separated and Nazia remained in their marital home of Ellesmere Road in Tower Hamlets from Monday to Friday. On the weekend she would take her two young children, the eldest child from a previous relationship, to her mother’s house.
Nazia had begun seeing another man in April 2018.
Despite the fact Nazia had told Ali she didn’t want to be in a relationship with him in November 2017, and they had separated, Ali accused his wife of having an affair.
On Sunday, 21 October 2018, Nazia was staying at her mother’s address when Ali visited her that morning. He was overheard by Nazia’s sister finally agreeing to a divorce and repeatedly asking if she was returning home that evening.
A shop receipt later recovered by officers and analysis of CCTV showed that, after leaving Nazia’s mother’s house, Ali then visited a shop in Bethnal Green Road to buy two knives, rope, a hammer and a screwdriver. He then went to Nazia’s address and hid in a cupboard, waiting for her to return home.
A pathologist established that Nazia received bruising and lacerations to her upper neck and face, fractured ribs, perhaps caused by a knee to her chest, markings to her ankle and lower shin that implied she was tied up for a significant period of time. Following her death, Ali covered her body with a white sheet and then went to sleep with his children.
During their investigation, officers were able to retrieve the items bought by Ali that day including the receipt for their purchase. Officers worked with the Begum family and ensured the children, aged three and five at the time, were taken into the protective care of local authorities – they are now with family members.
