Ilford crossbow death: Man charged with pregnant woman's murder Published duration 13 November 2018

image caption Sana Muhammad died in hospital on Monday

A man has been charged with the murder of a pregnant woman who was shot through the stomach with a crossbow.

Sana Muhammad, 35, was eight months pregnant but her baby survived after an emergency Caesarean section, the Evening Standard reported

The Met Police said the baby was in a "stable condition" in hospital after the attack in Ilford, east London, on Monday.

Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, 50, is to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday.

Mrs Muhammad was killed in front of her five other children in the family home, her husband Imtiaz Muhammad said.

Police were called to the house on Applegarth Drive at 07:40 GMT on Monday where she was found with a wound to her abdomen.

She was taken to hospital, and pronounced dead at 11:00.

In tribute to his wife, Mr Muhammad told the Evening Standard: "She was a wonderful mother and wife. We were together seven years. I am heartbroken we were inseparable."

image caption Two police cars remain parked outside the house on Applegarth Drive, Ilford

Labour MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting tweeted his reaction to the death, describing it as "deeply disturbing and distressing".

Mr Unmathallegadoo was initially arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and taken to a police station in east London.

He was further arrested on suspicion of murder before being charged on Tuesday morning, the Met said.

Det Ch Insp Gary Holmes added: "This is a tragic incident and our sympathies are with the loved ones and friends of the victim."

Neighbour Nisa Khan, 40, described Mrs Muhammad as "more than a friend, like a sister".

She added: "I knew her for a good seven years, ever since they moved there we've known them.

"She was just a lovely lady, lovely mother, lovely wife. I never saw her being upset, she always had a smile on her face even in the hard times."

'Everyone's in shock'

Another neighbour, Ambreen Zaidi, said Mrs Muhammad was excited about having another baby.

She said: "I think about her a lot and her children and we can't accept right now what has happened.

"Yesterday morning there was lots of police, we did not know what happened, but everyone here is in shock."

At the scene

BBC News correspondent Richard Lister

image caption The Met Police said the newborn baby is in a "stable condition"

Two police cars remain parked on the kerb outside the home where Sana Muhammad was injured on Monday.

A bouquet of flowers has been left propped up against a bin and a police officer is standing at the entrance to the family home.

It's a very quiet street tucked away in east London - residents here having been telling me about their "terrible shock" as to what has happened.

One man told me he used to see the victim walking with her kids and that he "couldn't believe the news".