Shiraz Ahmed, 42, admitted to assaulting his wife, Asqa, punching her and suffocating her with a pillow on August 28th.
He hit his wife, Asqa Ahmed, causing her nose to bleed. Then, he put a pillow on her face while she was screaming loudly.
Emma Kehoe testified that Asqa came to England about ten years ago, and her marriage to Ahmed was arranged. Ahmed later married another woman.
This led to frequent arguments between Ahmed and Asqa, and things escalated on August 28th. Ahmed punched his wife in the face and covered her face with a pillow, Ms. Kehoe said. She gasped for air, and the children were present during the incident.
Police arrived after receiving a call and found Asqa on the bed with a severely bleeding nose. Asqa has epilepsy, and the stress of the attack triggered a seizure. She continued convulsing later at the hospital.
Ahmed was arrested by the police that day but did not provide any explanation for his actions. Erin Kitson-Parker, defending Ahmed in court, stated that he feels remorseful for what happened.
Ahmed has been in jail since the incident and expressed his desire not to return. Judge Richard Archer addressed Ahmed directly, stating that he punched his wife’s face hard and used a pillow.
The judge noted, however, that the pillow was not used forcefully, but he restricted her breathing somewhat, and he should be ashamed. His wife has epilepsy, the judge reminded him, and she had a seizure after the attack. Knowing her condition makes his actions even more reprehensible.
The judge sentenced Ahmed to sixteen months in prison for his crime.