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Convicted paedophile and illegal immigrant Dana Abdullah will serve a minimum jail term of 18 years and eight months after murdering his wife in a row over his visa application.

The 35-year-old used a kitchen knife to inflict 50 fatal wounds on mother-of-four Avan Najmadeen before covering her body in white spirit on October 1.

The couple shared the same immigration solicitor and, after finding out Ms Najmadeen had asked the lawyer on September 28 not to co-operate with his application, Abdullah left her to die at her home in Glebedale Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

Jailing Abdullah for life at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: "This was, on any view, a planned and pre-meditated murder involving a brutal and sustained attack using a knife - knowing full well that it would deprive four children under the age of eight of their mother."

Judge Michael Chambers QC said: “This was a planned and premeditated murder involving a brutal and sustained attack using a knife, knowing full well that it would deprive four children under the age of eight of their mother.

“It was motivated by you seeking retribution for her failure to support your immigration appeal against deportation as a failed asylum seeker.”

The Judge added: “She had dishonoured you by converting to Christianity. She formed a relationship with someone else.”

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The court heard Abdullah’s most-recent immigration application had been refused in February, 2018.

Judge Chambers added: “Your evidence had not been supported by your wife and she expressed fear in relation to you. In September she indicated to her solicitor she had no wish to support your final appeal. You arranged a taxi from Leigh and planned to go to Stoke-on-Trent to kill her. I sentence you on the basis you did not take the knife with you.

“You arrived mid-morning. You had forcibly removed your electronic tag.”

One of the knife wounds penetrated Avan’s heart.

Judge Chambers added: “You left the premises but took significant steps in order to seek to conceal what you had done.

“You put turps on her body with a view to concealing what you had done.

“You went to Liverpool and ultimately to Glasgow.

"You went to the police station and said you were an asylum over-stayer with a view to being deported and avoiding punishment for this matter.”

Judge Chambers added: “You are not somebody of good character.

"Having been deported (after the sexual assaults sentence) you chose to come back into this country illegally and have committed this very serious crime.”

Judge Chambers added: “The sentence for murder is life imprisonment.

"I have to set the minimum term. The common ground starting point is 15 years.

"In my judgement there are a number of aggravating features - there was a lot of planning, it involved the use of a knife, you were subject to immigration control, and you tried to conceal what you had done.”

He added: “There are a significant number of very serious aggravating factors which significantly take the figure upwards.

“The minimum term you will serve is 19 years and 60 days.

"The 180 days on remand mean the minimum term is 18 years and 245 days.”