A builder has told how his pregnant wife’s ex-husband smiled and gave a thumbs up before he allegedly shot her dead with a crossbow.
Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo allegedly shot his ex-wife Devi after becoming obsessed with her.
Her new husband, Imtiaz Muhammad got together with the 35-year-old after her arranged marriage with Ramanodge, 51, broke down.
Unmathallegadoo, also known as Ram, became obsessed with getting revenge on them over the course of a year, spying and assembling a cache of weapons, the Old Bailey has heard.
He took up position in his wife’s garden shed, awaiting his moment to strike with two new crossbows, bolts, a hammer, a knife in a homemade sheath, cable ties and duct tape, the court heard.
The defendant shot Mrs Unmathallegadoo as she tried to flee upstairs at the family home in Ilford, east London, on the morning of November 12 last year, the court heard.
Police body cam footage of the arrest of Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo when he was charged with the murder of his ex wife, Imtiaz Muhammad, who was shot dead with a crossbow
Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo (pictured being arrested) allegedly shot his ex-wife with a crossbow in her own home
Mrs Unmathallegadoo suffered devastating internal injuries and died but her unborn son was delivered by Caesarean section and survived.
Giving evidence today, Mr Muhammad became emotional as he told jurors: ‘My brain was frozen. I did not know what was happening. Is it real? I’m dreaming.’
A video taken from officer’s body worn cameras showing the moment Unmathallegadoo was arrested was played to the court.
Mr Muhammad said his wife, also known as Sana, had got up early that day to start cooking for friends.
Mr Muhammad said he did his bit to prepare for visitors by taking an empty television box to the shed.
He heard a noise behind his back and turned around to find the defendant carrying one crossbow over his shoulder and another in his hand which he pointed up, he said.
The defendant smiled at him and gave a thumbs up, Mr Muhammad said: ‘I was super shocked and I did not know what to do. I stayed there for 10 seconds then I ran out. Then he was running behind me through the garden.
Unmathallegadoo (right) had been lying in wait in Devi’s (left) shed before bursting out armed with two crossbows, chasing her through her home and murdering her, jurors heard
Devi Unmathallegadoo had split from her husband and moved on with Imtiaz Muhammad (pictured)
‘I’m saying to my wife ‘run out’. She could see what was happening in the garden. She screamed and she started running through the corridor.
‘I ran through the living room. When I stepped out of the porch I turned back thinking ‘where is my wife’. I see my wife, she’s running up the staircase. Ram was coming through the corridor with the crossbow.’
The witness told jurors the defendant turned and faced the staircase, brought the crossbow up and shot his wife.
He said: ‘He did not waste a second. He seemed like he had training.’
Mr Muhammad told jurors the bolt entered his wife’s body so he could only see the end of it.
He went on: ‘When he was coming in the corridor I was in front of him but he was not looking at me. He was focused on her.
‘When she got an arrow she just screamed. I was thinking, ‘what is happening?’, I was screaming for her.
‘Then from there, because he had a second crossbow on his shoulder, I was thinking he’s used one and now the second one might be for me.’
Mr Muhammad shouted for the police to be called and the defendant came out with his hands up, jurors heard.
The defendant, formerly of Ilford, has denied murder and the attempted destruction of the unborn child.
The scene of the alleged murder in Ilford, east London, on November 12 last year