Muhammed Hammad with burns (Picture: NTI)

An illegal immigrant who murdered his wife by pouring white spirit over her and setting her on fire has been jailed for life.

Muhammed Hammad, 30, carried out the killing of Nazia Aktar, 31, following an argument at their home on April 25 last year.

The mobile phone shop worker then poured white spirit on himself and set himself on fire in a bid to cover his tracks and make it look like an accident, a court heard.

Nazia, who worked as a full-time carer, suffered 60 per cent burns to her face, ears, neck body, arm and leg following the fire.


Both were taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and placed into induced comas but Nazia died of her injuries on June 12.



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Nazia Aktar died of her burn injuries (Picture: NTI)

Before her death, Nazia awoke from her coma and managed to give officers full details of what had happened. Hammad was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 25 years after being found guilty of murder at Birmingham Crown Court.

Detective Inspector Justin Spanner, from West Midlands Police, said: ‘This was an unusual investigation where the victim, Nazia Akhtar, awoke from a coma and was able to give us an account of the circumstances leading to her sustaining her injuries.

‘Her account was recorded and played to the jury. They were able to hear it in her own words. She was unaware she would pass away as a result of the deep burn injuries.

‘Muhammad Hammad, deliberately set fire to his wife. Then, to cover his tracks, he poured some white spirit on himself and set it alight. He told Nazia “that no one would believe her if she told them what happened’.

‘He tried to maintain that Nazia had set herself on fire and he was merely trying to put her out. Our thoughts go out to Nazia’s family who have lost their loved one in such tragic circumstances.

‘I hope they are able to find some closure in the sentence that the court has imposed on Muhammad Hammad.’

The court heard the couple were painting the bathroom of their flat in Acocks, Birmingham when neighbours heard screams and found the couple staggering out of the property.

Both Nazia and Hammad claimed the injuries were a result of an accidental spillage of white liquid, which caught fire when a cigarette was dropped.

Nazia Aktar informed detectives what happened (Picture: NTI)

Fire investigators and medical experts began to question that her injuries were caused accidentally and while in hospital, Nazia told family and health workers that Hammad has deliberately set fire to her,

The couple lived together after meeting in 2013 and marrying the year after but Nazia had threatened to divorce him. She claimed Pakistani-born Hammad, who was in the country illegally, was controlling and had only married her to get a British visa.



Nazia said she had asked him to leave which resulted in him throwing white spirit over her and setting her alight after calling her a ‘fat ugly cow’.

Hammad was arrested and charged with her murder in June 2015.

In a statement Sana Mohammed, Nazia’s sister-in-law, said: ‘Nazia was a loving daughter, sister and aunty and did not deserve to suffer in the horrific way she did. Her death has had a huge impact on everyone’s lives and out thoughts and prayers will always be with her.

‘She worked hard as a carer and loved her job. She was a happy, bubbly, friendly person, who put her trust in everyone. She had a lot of love for all, she was like a child with the children and a warm hearted and respectful person with the elders-she was very humble.

‘Nazia was a very pretty young woman, who always enjoyed looking her best- she was outgoing and enjoyed going on holidays. She was very kind, sweet and loving, it’s such a shame she never met anyone who was like her; to be liked is such a way by the person who is supposed to be her life partner is just horrible to accept and to come to terms with.’

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