Latest news with #KulsumaAkter
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Mother murdered as she pushed pram ‘was able to predict husband would kill her'
A mother who was murdered by her husband as she pushed their baby in a pram in West Yorkshire had been able to 'predict her own death', a judge has said. Habibur Masum, 27, came to the UK on a student visa before 'viciously and mercilessly' murdering Kulsuma Akter after stalking her to a women's refuge in Bradford. On Tuesday, the killer was described as 'violent, self-centred, jealous, controlling and coercive' by Mr Justice Cotter as he jailed him for life with a minimum term of 28 years at the city's Crown Court. The judge told Masum that 'such was your behaviour, Kulsuma was able to predict her own death at your hands'. Emran Hussain, Ms Akter's brother, said her family would 'never forgive' the killer. Masum met and married Ms Akter in Bangladesh, and came to the UK in 2022 after he obtained a student visa and enrolled on a Masters course to study marketing. They moved into a house in Oldham, Greater Manchester, together in September 2022. On November 23 2023, he became jealous over a 'completely innocuous' message Ms Akter had received from a male colleague and held a knife to her throat. He was arrested and Ms Akter decided to leave him, being moved to the Bradford refuge by Oldham social services in January last year. Masum tracked her phone location to work out that she was staying at the refuge, and loitered in streets around the hostel, also sending her messages threatening to kill members of her family if she did not return to him. The killer also sent her fake messages from a local GP practice, pretending that their son had an appointment, to try to lure her out of the refuge. CCTV footage of the attack, played during the trial, showed that Masum stabbed her at least 25 times, put her on the ground and kicked her 'as a final insult' before lifting her head and cutting her throat. He was then seen smiling as he walked through Bradford city centre. CCTV footage showed him grinning as he got on a bus, 'believing at that point he was getting away'. Masum then travelled almost 200 miles south to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and was arrested in the early hours of April 9 in a car park near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he had gone to be treated for 'lockjaw'. The judge said: 'It is indeed a sad fact that it can be very difficult to entirely protect a woman in a refuge from a determined and cunning man intent on confrontation.' The 'nature and extent' of Masum's attack 'proves beyond all reasonable doubt that you intended to kill her', he added. The killer was told his fatal attack on his wife was 'the most serious of domestic abuse offences' and that it represented a 'violation of the trust and security that normally exists between people in an intimate relationship'. The judge said the preparation for the attack was 'calculating behaviour' and that Masum's actions when he killed Ms Akter were 'calm and collected'. He went on: 'It was a sustained and excessively violent attack, and Kulsuma suffered mentally and physically before her death as she tried to protect herself. The attack was in a busy city centre location on a Saturday afternoon – a shocking event, which any of those involved are unlikely to ever forget.' A statement from Ms Akter's family said: 'She was a loving, caring and kind soul with a generous nature, and touched the lives of everyone she came into contact with. As a family we miss her beautiful smile, which would light up any room she entered. We will miss her humour, her kindness and her love. 'We will never forgive the monster who took Kulsuma from us, and we do not wish to utter his name. It does not deserve to be mentioned. 'The monster savagely took Kulsuma from not only us, but also from her baby son. He will never know her beauty and her kindness. He will never know his mother, other than the memories we as a family will share with him as he grows. He is the only light in all this darkness, and Kulsuma radiates throughout him.' Prosecutor Stephen Wood KC told the court that Masum's leave to stay in the UK had been extended until June this year because he was a graduate. He said the prosecution had been informed that there was 'a very high likelihood' that he would be deported when he finishes his sentence.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
CCTV image released by police shows man boarding bus smiling after killing wife
Footage released by police has shown the moment a man was caught on CCTV smiling as he boarded a bus after tracking his wife to a women's refuge and stabbing her to death. Habibur Masum, 27, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years for murdering Kulsuma Akter as she pushed their baby in a pram before calmly walking away, leaving their seven-month-old son behind. The prosecution told jurors during the trial that CCTV footage of Masum's movements after the attack showed a 'smiling killer'. Bradford Crown Court heard Ms Akter had fled to a refuge in Bradford to escape her husband after he held a knife to her throat at their home in Greater Manchester. After finding her through her phone location, Masum was seen on CCTV in the days leading up to the fatal attack 'loitering, watching and waiting' in streets around the hostel. Ms Akter left the refuge on April 6 last year and as she was walking in the city centre with a friend, pushing her baby in a pram, Masum confronted her. He was seen on CCTV trying to steer Ms Akter and the pram away before pulling a knife from his jacket and launching the 'brutal attack' when he realised she was not coming with him, prosecutor Stephen Wood KC told jurors. The footage of the attack, played during the trial, captured Ms Akter's screams as Masum stabbed her at least 25 times, put her on the ground and kicked her 'as a final insult' before lifting her head and deliberately cutting her throat. 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.' Footage released by police after Masum's conviction showed him calmly walking away from the murder scene and through Bradford city centre. Mr Wood, who showed the footage of Masum walking through Bradford to jurors, said it showed no signs of him being 'distressed', as he had claimed in his evidence. Of the close-up of Masum getting on a bus smiling, Mr Wood said it 'removed all possible doubt' about his state of mind. 'There were no tears, there was no distress,' he said during the trial. 'Perhaps, members of the jury, the smile you can clearly see form as he gets on that bus is as a result of him thinking at that point he's getting away. The smiling killer.' During the trial, Masum refused to watch footage of the attack but jurors heard that during his first police interview he requested to see it, with Mr Wood saying he wanted to see what officers 'had on him'.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Husband who stabbed wife to death as she pushed their baby in pram jailed for 28 years
Habibur Masum, who stabbed his wife Kulsuma Akter to death as she pushed their baby in a pram in April last year, has been jailed for life at Bradford CrownCourt with a minimum term of 28 years. Habibur Masum, 27, was found guilty of murdering Kulsuma Akter in a 'ferocious' knife attack in broad daylight after tracking her to a women's refuge in Bradford where she had been staying to escape him after he held a knife to her throat at their home in Greater Manchester. He left his wife bleeding to death and calmly walked away, leaving their seven-month-old son behind. The family of murder victim Kulsuma Akter have said in a statement 'we will never forgive the monster who took Kulsuma from us,' after her killer was jailed for life. They added they have been left with a 'painful void in our lives'. The Crown Prosecution Service described the murder as 'callous' and 'shocking'. Marie Walsh, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Habibur Masum is a violent and dangerous man who subjected his estranged wife to violence and domestic abuse causing her to flee their home to live in a safehouse in Bradford.' 'We hope the imprisonment of Masum has brought some comfort to the family and friends of Kulsuma,' she added. Masum found Kulsuma Akter through her phone location and loitered in streets around the hostel before sending her messages threatening to kill her family members if she did not return to him. He then tried to lure her out by sending her fake messages from a local GP practice pretending their son had an appointment. The court heard Ms Akter eventually felt safe enough to leave the refuge on April 6 last year after Masum updated his Facebook page falsely claiming to be in Spain. As she was walking in the city centre with a friend, pushing her baby in a pram, Masum confronted her, the trial heard. CCTV footage of the attack captured Ms Akter's screams as Masum stabbed her at least 25 times. Jurors heard he then calmly walked through Bradford city centre and was seen on CCTV grinning as he got on a bus, believing at that point he was getting away. Masum travelled almost 200 miles south to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and was arrested in the early hours of April 9 in a car park near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he had gone to be treated for 'lockjaw'. The trial heard the relationship between Masum and Ms Akter was 'an abusive relationship characterised by his jealousy, possessiveness and controlling behaviour'. The couple met and married in Bangladesh, and came to the UK in 2022 after he obtained a student visa and enrolled on a Masters course to study marketing. They moved into a house in Oldham together in September 2022. On November 23 2023, he became jealous over a 'completely innocuous' message Ms Akter received from a male colleague and held a knife to her throat. He was arrested and Ms Akter decided to leave him, being moved to the Bradford refuge by Oldham social services in January 2024. Kulsuma Akter's family said in a statement: 'Kulsuma was a much-loved daughter, sister, aunt and mother. Her loss has left a gaping hole in the lives of all her family and friends. 'We have been left with a profound sense of emptiness and a deep and painful void in our lives. She was a loving, caring and kind soul with a generous nature, and touched the lives of everyone she came into contact with. As a family we miss her beautiful smile which would light up any room she entered. We will miss her humour, her kindness and her love. 'We will never forgive the monster who took Kulsuma from us and we do not wish to utter his name. It does not deserve to be mentioned. The monster who savagely took Kulsuma from not only us, but also from her baby son. 'He will never know her beauty and her kindness. He will never know his mother, other than the memories we as a family will share with him as he grows. He is the only light in all this darkness and Kulsuma radiates throughout him. 'Although we are grateful for the judicial process that found him guilty of this crime and for the sentence he has received today, no amount of time in prison will change the life sentence he has inflicted upon us all. 'No family should have to endure the pain and heartache we have had to endure since he took Kulsuma's life so horrifically. We can only try and keep her memory alive by continuing to love her and to remember her name.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Victim's family will never forgive ‘monster' who killed her as she pushed pram
The family of murder victim Kulsuma Akter have said they will 'never forgive the monster' who mercilessly stabbed her to death in broad daylight. Habibur Masum was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday, but Ms Akter's family said 'no amount of time in prison will change the life sentence he has inflicted upon us all'. The statement read: 'Kulsuma was a much-loved daughter, sister, aunt and mother. 'Her loss has left a gaping hole in the lives of all her family and friends. 'We have been left with a profound sense of emptiness and a deep and painful void in our lives. 'She was a loving, caring and kind soul with a generous nature and touched the lives of everyone she came into contact with. 'As a family we miss her beautiful smile which would light up any room she entered. 'We will miss her humour, her kindness and her love.' Turning to the killer, Ms Akter's family said: 'We will never forgive the monster who took Kulsuma from us and we do not wish to utter his name. It does not deserve to be mentioned. 'The monster who savagely took Kulsuma from not only us, but also from her baby son. 'He will never know her beauty and her kindness. 'He will never know his mother, other than the memories we as a family will share with him as he grows. 'He is the only light in all this darkness and Kulsuma radiates throughout him.' Sentencing judge Mr Justice Cotter told Masum his behaviour had led Ms Akter to predict her own death at his hands. Her family continued: 'Although we are grateful for the judicial process that found him guilty of this crime and for the sentence he has received today, no amount of time in prison will change the life sentence he has inflicted upon us all. 'No family should have to endure the pain and heartache we have had to endure since he took Kulsuma's life so horrifically. 'We can only try and keep her memory alive by continuing to love her and to remember her name.' The statement added: 'This has been an unimaginable time for us as a family, one which will stay with us forever.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Victim's family will never forgive ‘monster' who killed her as she pushed pram
The family of murder victim Kulsuma Akter have said they will 'never forgive the monster' who mercilessly stabbed her to death in broad daylight. Habibur Masum was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday, but Ms Akter's family said 'no amount of time in prison will change the life sentence he has inflicted upon us all'. The statement read: 'Kulsuma was a much-loved daughter, sister, aunt and mother. 'Her loss has left a gaping hole in the lives of all her family and friends. 'We have been left with a profound sense of emptiness and a deep and painful void in our lives. 'She was a loving, caring and kind soul with a generous nature and touched the lives of everyone she came into contact with. 'As a family we miss her beautiful smile which would light up any room she entered. 'We will miss her humour, her kindness and her love.' Turning to the killer, Ms Akter's family said: 'We will never forgive the monster who took Kulsuma from us and we do not wish to utter his name. It does not deserve to be mentioned. 'The monster who savagely took Kulsuma from not only us, but also from her baby son. 'He will never know her beauty and her kindness. 'He will never know his mother, other than the memories we as a family will share with him as he grows. 'He is the only light in all this darkness and Kulsuma radiates throughout him.' Sentencing judge Mr Justice Cotter told Masum his behaviour had led Ms Akter to predict her own death at his hands. Her family continued: 'Although we are grateful for the judicial process that found him guilty of this crime and for the sentence he has received today, no amount of time in prison will change the life sentence he has inflicted upon us all. 'No family should have to endure the pain and heartache we have had to endure since he took Kulsuma's life so horrifically. 'We can only try and keep her memory alive by continuing to love her and to remember her name.' The statement added: 'This has been an unimaginable time for us as a family, one which will stay with us forever.'
