'Jealous' husband stabbed wife as she walked baby after stalking her, court told
A 'violent, jealous, controlling' husband stalked his estranged wife to a women's refuge before stabbing her to death as she pushed their baby in a pram, a court has heard.
Habibur Masum, 26, launched a 'ferocious' knife attack on Kulsuma Akter, 27, after confronting her on a street in Bradford, Bradford Crown Court was told.
The jury heard Ms Akter had fled her home in Oldham to a hostel in Bradford 'to escape his violence, jealousy and controlling behaviour'.
Masum, from Burnley, had previously been arrested over claims he had threatened to kill Ms Akter and was banned from contacting her when he attacked her on 6 April last year.
Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Steven Wood KC said Masum had tracked Ms Akter to Bradford before trying to trick her into leaving the hostel by pretending to be from a GP's surgery and offering her fake appointments.
The court heard he confronted Ms Akter as she walked with a friend while pushing the couple's seven-month-old son in a pram.
Mr Wood said she was shocked Masum was there as she believed he was in Spain at the time.
CCTV footage played in court showed Masum walking alongside Ms Akter before he stopped her, spun her and the pram around and pulled a knife from his jacket. He then stabbed her.
Mr Wood said Masum launched a "ferocious and deadly attack" on his wife as she lay on the ground.
'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,' he said.
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?'
Previous threat to kill
The court heard Masum had previously threatened to kill Ms Akter and in November 2023 attacked her over a 'completely innocuous' message she received from a male colleague.
'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 he threatened her with a knife, prompting a female family member to call the police. Masum was arrested that night, jurors heard.
The court heard Masum was charged with two offences of assault and one 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, but the court heard Masum contacted her on Snapchat, threatening to kill her brothers.
The jury was told the refuge contacted the police but Masum sent her a video the next day of Bradford 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.'
Ms Akter's social worker arranged for her to be rehoused and she was due to move on 8 April but died two days before the transfer.
After stabbing Ms Akter, Masum left her and his son at the scene and got on a bus, Mr Wood said.
He later travelled almost 200 miles south to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and was arrested in the early hours of 9 April in a car park near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he had attended to be treated for 'lock jaw'.
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.
The trial continues.
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Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Husband 'tracked down fleeing wife and killed her as she walked with their baby'
Kulsuma Akter was due to be rehoused just two days before her windpipe and left jugular vein were slashed (Picture: Family Handout/PA Wire) A 'jealous' husband stabbed his wife to death after tracking her down to a refuge she had gone to escape him, a court has heard. Habibur Masum, 26, allegedly launched a 'ferocious' knife attack on Kulsuma Akter, 27, while she pushed their baby's pram in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The mum had fled to a hostel in Bradford 'to escape' her husband's 'violence, jealousyand controlling behaviour', Bradford Crown Court heard. She was due to be rehoused just two days before her windpipe and left jugular vein were slashed. Masum had been on bail conditions which ordered him to keep away from his wife, jurors were told (Picture: West Yorkshire Police/PA Wire) Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Masum had been on bail conditions which ordered him to keep away from Akter, but in March that year, Akter allegedly told her social worker that her husband had contacted her He had sent her a Snapchat with a threat to kill her brothers if she did not go back to him and the next day he sent another Snapchat video saying he had 'come to her town', jurors were told. He then sent her a photo of the refuge where she was staying, adding: '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.' On the day of her death on April 6 last year, however, Akter 'felt safe to leave the refuge' because she had heard from Masum's relatives that he was in Spain, jurors were told. The mum was out walking her seven-month-old son in a pram with a friend when Masum walked with her into a shop. Masum had tracked down his wife in Bradford in the days leading up to the attack and had tried to lure her out of the hostel by pretending to be from a GP's surgery, the prosecution also said in court. Akter and Masum at their wedding Footage seen in court showed Masum then walking with his wife before he spun her and her pram around. He then pulled out a knife from his jacket and began violently attacking Akter, the court heard. Prosecutor Steven Wood KC 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 [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?' Akter had escaped previous threats on her life from her partner, who had been married for 18 months in November 2023, the court heard. Mr Wood said: 'Generally, the relationship had been good, but there were already warning signs. Habibur Masum is accused of a 'cold-blooded, calculated, premeditated murder' (Credits: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire) '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 were told a 'completely innocuous' message from a male colleague to Akter, Masum became violent by slapping her and pulling her hair. The court also heard 'a chilling prediction' made Masum, when he told his wife: 'I am going to murder you, and the police will be taking me'. The next day, he allegedly put a knife to her throat in their bedroom and threatened her over her relationship with the colleague. Masum was arrested that night after a female family member called the police. After denying using violence in a police interview, he was then charged with two offences of assault by beating and one offence of making a threat to kill. 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. The trial continues. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Plastic surgeon who stabbed rival doctor and tried to burn down his home jailed Arrow MORE: Couple find their stolen car and take it back after getting fed up with police Arrow MORE: Boy's alleged killer 'was flat Earth conspiracy theorist inspired by Elon Musk'
ITV News
5 hours ago
- ITV News
'Jealous' husband stabbed wife as she walked baby after stalking her, court told
A 'violent, jealous, controlling' husband stalked his estranged wife to a women's refuge before stabbing her to death as she pushed their baby in a pram, a court has heard. Habibur Masum, 26, launched a 'ferocious' knife attack on Kulsuma Akter, 27, after confronting her on a street in Bradford, Bradford Crown Court was told. The jury heard Ms Akter had fled her home in Oldham to a hostel in Bradford 'to escape his violence, jealousy and controlling behaviour'. Masum, from Burnley, had previously been arrested over claims he had threatened to kill Ms Akter and was banned from contacting her when he attacked her on 6 April last year. Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Steven Wood KC said Masum had tracked Ms Akter to Bradford before trying to trick her into leaving the hostel by pretending to be from a GP's surgery and offering her fake appointments. The court heard he confronted Ms Akter as she walked with a friend while pushing the couple's seven-month-old son in a pram. Mr Wood said she was shocked Masum was there as she believed he was in Spain at the time. CCTV footage played in court showed Masum walking alongside Ms Akter before he stopped her, spun her and the pram around and pulled a knife from his jacket. He then stabbed her. Mr Wood said Masum launched a "ferocious and deadly attack" on his wife as she lay on the ground. '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,' he said. 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?' Previous threat to kill The court heard Masum had previously threatened to kill Ms Akter and in November 2023 attacked her over a 'completely innocuous' message she received from a male colleague. '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 he threatened her with a knife, prompting a female family member to call the police. Masum was arrested that night, jurors heard. The court heard Masum was charged with two offences of assault and one 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, but the court heard Masum contacted her on Snapchat, threatening to kill her brothers. The jury was told the refuge contacted the police but Masum sent her a video the next day of Bradford 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.' Ms Akter's social worker arranged for her to be rehoused and she was due to move on 8 April but died two days before the transfer. After stabbing Ms Akter, Masum left her and his son at the scene and got on a bus, Mr Wood said. He later travelled almost 200 miles south to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and was arrested in the early hours of 9 April in a car park near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he had attended to be treated for 'lock jaw'. 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. The trial continues.
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
'Mass shooting' thwarted at Michigan high school graduation; one suspect arrested, another at large, officials say
What began as a fist fight at a high school graduation in Michigan on Tuesday has turned into a search for a 20-year-old suspect in what officials are calling a prevented mass shooting attempt. Oakland County authorities are searching for 20-year-old Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman — who is currently on probation for a weapons offense — in connection with the attempt at the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac (ATAP) graduation, Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced in a press conference on Friday. Another 19-year-old suspect is in custody, whose identity is not being released until charges are filed. Bouchard said the 19-year-old suspect also has a criminal history involving weapons. Oakland County Sheriff deputies were initially dispatched at 6:40 p.m. to the graduation held at the United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) property for a fight. A person approached deputies at the scene and informed them a family member had seen a threat posted on Snapchat to shoot up the ceremony, Bouchard said. Authorities are not sure of the post's specific wording, as it has been taken down, but witnesses said it was along the lines of "was going to shoot up the crowd," Bouchard said. The two suspects, both Pontiac residents, were identified as individuals who were part of the fight and had been seen putting packages under cars in the parking lot when authorities arrived, according to Bouchard. Working with the UWM security team and their camera system, officials recovered two fully-loaded weapons at the scene. Each weapon also had a 40-round magazine. "So just those two weapons without changing magazines, had 80 rounds of potential firepower," Bouchard said. "Shooting into a graduation, you can only imagine the outcome of that." One of the suspects, who Bouchard did not specify, was carrying a pink, AR-style pistol with the loaded magazine in a backpack that was stashed under a vehicle when officers arrived. The other weapon recovered was a Glock semi-automatic handgun with a 40-round stick magazine. It is unknown if the suspects once attended the charter school, but Bouchard said they did have friends and relatives at the graduation and "ongoing disputes with individuals in the community." The sheriff said the motive behind the attempted shooting is unclear. The other parties involved in the disputes are not cooperating with authorities, according to Bouchard. "While a brief physical altercation did take place inside the venue, it was quickly handled by staff and security, and those involved were promptly removed," the school wrote in a social media post. "Thankfully, no one within the ceremony was harmed, and we were able to continue and complete our beautiful commencement celebration without further disruption." The 19-year-old suspect fled the scene, but was found after the graduation. Bouchard said he is 'confident' Hardiman will be located. Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding Hardiman's whereabouts to call 911. Bouchard advised community members not to try to apprehend or approach the suspect. When asked by reporters if Bouchard had anything to say to Hardiman, he replied: 'Turn yourself in. One way or another we're going to get you. Make it easier on yourself and the community.'
