MAN JAILED FOR A MINIMUM OF 13 YEARS AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN THE KILLING OF HIS PREGNANT SISTER IN LAW
A man who murdered his pregnant sister in law, Naila Mumtaz, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.Mohammed Mumtaz, 25, from Birmingham, was convicted of killing his wife during an attempt to exorcise what family members believed was a harmful spirit.
Also involved in the crime were his parents, Zia Ul-Haq and Salma Aslam, both aged 51, and his brother-in-law Hammad Hassan, aged 24.
All four were found guilty after a trial earlier this year.
Birmingham Crown Court was told that Mrs.
Mumtaz was six months pregnant at the time of her death, which occurred in their family home, where her body was discovered after paramedics were called in the early hours of July 8, 2009.
The court heard that her in-laws thought she was possessed by evil spirits and that family members attempted to render her unconscious as part of a misguided attempt to drive out a 'djinn' spirit.
During sentencing, the judge stated that Mumtaz was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison, while his brother-in-law received the same minimum term.
His parents, Zia Ul-Haq and Salma Aslam, were each given a minimum of 15 years.
The motive for the killing was believed to be that the family thought Naila's unborn child was not her husband's or that she was possessed by a spirit sent from Pakistan.
The court also heard that there were numerous calls to Naila's relatives in Pakistan and the family in the hours before her death, raising suspicions about the circumstances.
The judge described the betrayal of Naila by her own family as 'terrible,' emphasizing the tragic and shocking nature of the case.
Naila's relatives issued a statement expressing their grief and highlighting that she was a happy, confident young woman who moved to the UK in 2008 after an arranged marriage.
They noted that she was nearly six months pregnant and that her death has shattered her hopes and future plans.
The family shared a home in Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, and her relatives expressed their gratitude for the jury's decision.
Law enforcement officials described the case as one of the most upsetting they've encountered, emphasizing that Naila was a lovely person who was taken from her family in a misguided belief rooted in superstitions.
