‘Controlling husband killed wife after tracking her to women's refuge'

Telegraph

2 days ago

A 'controlling' husband stabbed his wife to death after tracking her to a hostel where she was staying to escape him, a court has been told.
Habibur Masum, 26, launched a 'ferocious' knife attack on Kulsuma Akter, 27, while she pushed their baby in a pram, after confronting her on a street in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
A court heard Ms Akter had come to Bradford to be housed in a refuge 'to escape [Masum's] violence, jealousy and controlling behaviour'.
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard that Masum had previously threatened to kill Ms Akter and, at the time of the attack on April 6 last year, was subject to court bail conditions ordering him to keep away from her.
Opening the case on Monday, Steven Wood KC, prosecuting, said Masum tracked Ms Akter to Bradford and, in the days leading up to the attack, tried to trick her into leaving the hostel by pretending to be from a GP's surgery and offering her fake appointments.
The court heard that Ms Akter was walking with a friend on April 6 while pushing her seven-month-old son in a pram and was confronted by the defendant, who walked with her into a shop.
Mr Wood said she was shocked Masum was there as she believed he was in Spain.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Masum walking with Ms Akter until he stopped her, spinning her and the pram around before pulling a knife from his jacket.
Mr Wood said: 'He grabs Kulsuma and pushes her into a wall, stabbing her to the body. You will see that Kulsuma then goes to the ground only for the defendant to launch a ferocious and deadly attack.
'When the defendant had finished stabbing her, as a final act of sheer gratuitous violence, he kicks Kulsuma before moving away, but not before ensuring that he disposed of the knife.'
The court heard Ms Akter suffered multiple stab wounds to her body and face including a wound to the neck which partly cut her windpipe and severed her left jugular vein.
Mr Wood told jurors: 'The [prosecution] say this was cold-blooded, calculated, pre-meditated murder.
'Why would the defendant take a knife with him to meet his estranged wife unless he planned to use it?'
'Threats to kill her'
The court heard that by November 2023, Ms Akter and the defendant had been married for about 18 months.
Mr Wood said: 'Generally, the relationship had been good, but there were already warning signs.
'There were previous incidents of his making threats to kill her and in July 2023, she was staying with family members because of his controlling behaviour.'
Jurors heard that, on Nov 23, Masum became jealous over a 'completely innocuous' message she had received from a male colleague, grabbing her face, slapping her and pulling her hair.
'In what you may think was a chilling prediction of what he was to do in April of the following year, he told Kulsuma, 'I am going to murder you, and the police will be taking me',' Mr Wood said.
The next day, after coming home from work, he went into their bedroom carrying a knife and said: 'Tell me what your relationship is with him, or I will kill you,' jurors heard.
'Afraid that he would cut her throat'
Mr Wood said that Masum put the knife to Ms Akter's throat and 'she was so genuinely afraid that he would cut her throat, that she thought that the only way to stop him was to keep the baby on her lap'.
A female family member who was concerned for Ms Akter's safety called the police, and Masum was arrested that night, jurors heard.
In his interview at Ashton police station he denied using any violence towards his wife and 'just asked who the guy was'. He also told officers he had no mental health conditions.
The court heard Masum was charged with two offences of assault by beating and one offence of making a threat to kill.
Jurors heard Ms Akter told a social worker from Oldham Council she 'believed that one day her husband would kill her', asking if her son could stay with her sister-in-law and brother 'when this day comes'.
She was moved to accommodation in Bradford in January 2024.
Mr Wood said in March, Ms Akter told her social worker Masum had contacted her on Snapchat, threatening that if she did not go back to him by April 1 he would kill her brothers.
'Nobody will love you like I do'
The court heard the refuge contacted the police and, the next day, Masum sent Ms Akter a Snapchat video of the Bradford Interchange railway station with a message saying he had 'come to her town'.
He later sent her a photo of the refuge with a message saying: 'I know that you are living in this place. I knew from the first day you moved here.
'If I had any wish to kill you, I could have from the first day. You do not know what you have lost but one day you will understand. Nobody will love you like I do.'
The court heard Ms Akter's social worker arranged for her to be rehoused and she was due to move on April 8, but in the meantime she heard from one of Masum's relatives that he was in Spain, and 'felt safe to leave the refuge' on the day she was killed.
Masum denies murdering Ms Akter but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife.
He also denies two charges of assault, one count of making threats to kill and one charge of stalking.