Ilford murder: 'Coercive' husband battered wife to death Published duration 30 May 2019

image copyright Met Police image caption Muhammad Javed used a hammer and machete to kill his wife

A "controlling and coercive" husband who battered his wife to death after he wrongly suspected her of having an affair has been found guilty of murder.

Muhammad Javed, 59, used a hammer and machete to kill Saeeda Hussain, 53, in the living room of their east London home in February last year.

The Old Bailey heard she had "feared the shame" if his violence towards her was reported to authorities.

Javed, of Staines Road, Ilford, will be sentenced on 21 June.

Prosecutor Julian Evans told the trial jury the couple's children were aware of Javed's "violence and... mistreatment" during their marriage of more than 30 years.

However, Mr Evans said Ms Hussain "did not want them to report it to the police or to others outside the family".

"She feared that the defendant would be deported.

"She also feared the shame that, in her mind, such revelations would bring."

image copyright Met Police image caption Mother-of-five Saeeda Hussain was murdered at the home she shared with her husband

Mr Evans told the court that Javed had suspected his wife was "having an affair or was seeing other men behind his back", suspicions the prosecutor claimed "were entirely without merit".

The court was told Javed had installed CCTV at their home to monitor the mother-of-five's behaviour and the couple slept in separate rooms.

A pathologist estimated that there were at least 46 separate impacts from the machete and at least seven blows from the hammer from the attack on 13 February.

'Very bad news'

The court heard Javed then changed out of his blood-stained clothes, left the weapons near his wife's body, locked the living-room door, and left by a window.

He then contacted his daughter's father-in-law and told him: "You are going to hear very bad news".

At about 18:00 GMT he then went to the local police station and told an officer: "I have just killed my wife".

When police entered the house they found a discarded boiler suit covered in blood, which Det Insp John Marriott said was "probably donned... to avoid getting his wife's blood on his clothes".

He added: "If ever a case shows the importance of contacting police if you are in, or aware of, an abusive relationship, then this is it."