Sohbia Khan, an intelligent 37-year-old woman, phoned her family for help, before her partner murdered her at their Derby home.
Her husband, Atual Mustafa, appeared at the Derby Crown Court and was charged with the murder of his former wife Sohbia Khan, while they were at their home in Pear Tree Crescent Normanton. However, he has denied the charge.
As the trial took place, Miss Khan’s eldest brother, Javed Khan had given evidence. The trial heard that Mustafa had lured Sohbia to Derby from Bradford and subjected her to domestic violence on a daily basis.
The trial had heard that the woman had phoned her family to say ‘please help me’ shortly before she was murdered.
Michael Auty QC, a prosecutor, had asked Mr Khan during court whether he thought his sister was confident, clever and bubbly and he told the jury that she was.
While opening the case, Mustafa was described by Mr Auty as ‘controlling.’
Atual Mustafa denied the murder charges of his partner Sohbia Tabasim Khan.
Mr Auty said: “The day after Sohbia left Bradford for Derby, all her Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat (accounts) were deactivated.”
However, her brother told the caught that his sister liked using social media.
The jury were told about how Miss Khan used to work with children, and she enjoyed her job.
Mr Khan stated that he had never seen his sister wear a Burka (a garment that covers the body and face) or niqab (a garment that covers the face).
He added: “She very much did know her own mind. She was the only one who could answer me back.”
During court, the judges were told that Sobhia had been previously married for seven years. However the couple separated, and Miss Khan moved back to her family home in Bradford.
The court asked Mr Khan whether she was optimistic about finding someone, after her marriage failed. Mr Khan told the court that she was and that she always wanted children.
The court was told that Miss Khan’s body had been found in a bath, covered with a towel and shower curtain.
A Home Office pathologist examined Miss Khan’s body, and Michael Auty read out the post-mortem results in court.
He told the court that it was ‘perfectly possible that the defendant had ‘beaten her unconscious and she has died having been left alone.’
He also added that Miss Khan suffered a ‘succession of beatings’ and stated that there was ‘not one incident, but a series of incidents.’ He also said that Miss Khan had been branded with an iron.
Mr Auty added: “It has been used quite deliberately to cause injury.”
