WEST MIDLANDS MAN JAILED FOR LIFE IN DOMESTIC MURDER CASE
A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his estranged wife by hitting her multiple times with a weightlifting bar.Imran Iqbal, aged 27, from Netherton in the West Midlands, attacked Yasmin Akhtar, aged 24, at her home in November 2009.
The Wolverhampton Crown Court jury reached a unanimous guilty verdict after just three hours of deliberation.
It was revealed that Mrs.
Akhtar had previously suffered domestic abuse at the hands of Iqbal.
The court sentenced Iqbal to life in prison, with a minimum of 16 years to be served.
Mrs.
Akhtar, mother of Iqbal’s three children, resided in Purlin Wharf.
Following the verdict, West Midlands Police officer Insp Richard Jones stated, 'This was a distressing and difficult case to investigate and I am pleased that Yasmin's family and friends have seen justice done.' He added, 'The court has heard how Yasmin endured months of domestic problems before her death, and she was never able to escape her unhappy marriage to start a new life as she had hoped.' The case had been referred to the Independent Complaints Commission (IPCC), which found no failings by the police force, despite previous contact with Mrs.
Akhtar.
The IPCC reported that a panic alarm was removed from her home after it was found she had invited Iqbal to live with her to look after their children while she attended college.
IPCC commissioner Len Jackson described the case as 'very sad and disturbing,' noting that Mrs.
Akhtar did not realize she and her children were at risk, despite the advice she received from the police and other agencies.
