Family members were today found guilty over the sinister physical abuse of an arranged marriage bride who has been in a persistent vegetative state for eight years.
Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, 38, can breathe unaided but has suffered ‘irretrievable’ brain damage that has left her with no consciousness of the world around her.
The court heard the probable explanation for her condition was that she had unwillingly swallowed tablets prescribed to her diabetic mother-in-law that resulted in a hypoglycaemic attack.
Such tablets are extremely dangerous if taken by non-diabetics and have been dubbed ‘one pill killers’ to small children.
The prosecution case was that the tablets were not taken voluntarily and by then the socially isolated and vulnerable Ambreen had suffered a ‘pattern of violence’ behind the closed doors of the terraced house in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, she shared with her husband, parents-in-law and brother and sister-in-law.
Ambreen came to the UK in November 2014 after marrying Asgar Sheikh (pictured right with Ambreen’s brother-in-law Sakalyne Sheikh left), in 2013 in an arranged marriage in Pakistan
Ambreen’s mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh (left) and sister-in-law Shagufa Sheikh (right)
A large black wound on her lower back was said to have been caused by a caustic chemical substance in the days before Ambreen was rushed to hospital in an unconscious state.
The chemical probably also caused an injury to her ear, the court heard.
Police were alerted when hospital doctors feared Ambreen’s injuries could be suspicious. Nurses were also concerned she was ‘malnourished’ and ‘unkempt’ in appearance.
Ambreen was initially put on a life support machine and police believed they could soon be dealing with a murder inquiry.
When the ventilator was switched off Ambreen was able to breathe but has remained in a vegetative state with no change in her condition since August 2015.
Police questioned all five family members who lived in the house and no one provided an explanation for what happened. Ambreen came to the UK in November 2014 after marrying Asgar, now 31, in 2013 in an arranged marriage in Pakistan.
He told police: ‘I love my wife so much why would I hurt her?’
But eight years after Ambreen’s collapse Asgar, along with Ambreen’s father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55, mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh, 53, sister-in-law Shagufa Sheikh, 29, and brother-in-law Sakalayne, 24, went on trial over the bride’s treatment and an ensuing cover-up.
The jury took 10 hours to find Asgar, Khalid, Shabnam, and Shagufa guilty of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm.
The jury took 10 hours to find Asgar, Khalid, Shabnam, and Shagufa guilty of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm. Pictured is Ambreen’s father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55 (right) and mother-in-law Shabnam (left)
Shagufa, Shabnam and Asgar were also found guilty of doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice. Only Sakalyne Sheikh (pictured second from right) was found not guilty of this offence
Only Sakalyne was found not guilty of this offence.
Shagufa, Shabnam and Asgar were also found guilty of doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice. All five defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Sentencing was adjourned.
Exactly what happened behind the closed doors remains uncertain as the family closed ranks and none of them gave evidence in their defence at the Leeds Crown Court trial.
However, the jury heard Ambreen could have been the victim of possible ‘torture’ with a chemical substance and there may have been an attempt to kill her with a dangerous drug.
Anyone in the household not involved in the physical abuse would have realised she was at risk but taking her to A&E would have led to questions being asked and an investigation.
Before joining her husband in the UK Ambreen was said to be a well-educated ‘happy-go-lucky’ young woman.
But she spoke little English and once in Huddersfield she barely left the house. Ambreen was described as ‘socially isolated, penniless and friendless.’
Next door neighbours said they had no idea she was even living there for nine months.
A jury heard that Ambreen was left lying unconscious for up to three days before her new family called for an ambulance in July, 2015 – and she has never regained consciousness
When questioned by police at the time, Sakalayne, then 16 and a school drop-out, said: ‘We don’t really talk to any other people. We keep ourselves to ourselves.’
There was evidence Ambreen ‘didn’t meet expectations’ and fit in with her new family.
A relative of the Sheikh family said they complained she was ‘smelly’ and didn’t shower regularly and did not cook and clean for her husband.
The couple were said to have ‘had a fight’ that led to Ambreen sleeping in another room.
There was also an incident three weeks before Ambreen was rushed to hospital.
A relative had tried to contact Ambreen by phone and asked her daughter in Yorkshire to check on her.
When she and a man knocked on the door Shabnam wouldn’t let them see her and an ‘angry’ Asgar came to the door and allegedly threatened ‘I will kill you if I see you again.’
The incident was reported to police and officers visited the next day to check on Ambreen, who was found to show no signs of distress, neglect or harm.
But something did happen in the house with disastrous consequences to Ambreen’s health and at 1am on 1 August 2015 the family called for an ambulance. They reported Ambreen had suddenly become unresponsive.
She never regained consciousness and medical evidence indicted their account to paramedics was a lie.
Experts believe in reality she collapsed unconscious up to 48 hours earlier and suffered a brain injury when her airway became blocked.
She had been vomiting and incontinent but paramedics found her clean and in clean clothes after being moved to another bedroom.
Her soiled clothing and bedding had been disposed of in a wheelie bin outside and under a tarpaulin downstairs – an attempt claimed prosecutor Robert Smith, KC, to deflect any police investigation.
Ambreen was not diabetic and several experts concluded her condition was the result of hypoglycaemia – a low level of blood sugar that can cause brain damage.
Although there was no evidence to indicate how it happened, prosecution experts concluded that Ambreen ingesting one or two tablets of her mother-in-law’s prescribed glimepiride medication – which lowers blood sugar in diabetics – was the likely explanation.
It was described as a ‘really powerful drug’ which can kill a young child who innocently swallows one.
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