Man accused of stabbing his wife to death ‘smoked a cigarette and posted on Facebook’ before calling Triple Zero – as court hears he looked up Islamic punishments for infidelity
- Shahab Ahmed has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife of five years
- Ahmed ‘posted on Facebook and smoked a cigarette’ after the attack
- She was found dead in the apartment, having suffered from 14 stab wounds
- He’d been researching ‘Islamic punishments for infidelity’ before alleged attack
A man who allegedly stabbed his wife to death she had an affair had previously researched ways to punish her for infidelity, a court has heard.
Shahab Ahmed has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife of five-and-a-half years, Khondkar Faihi Elahi, in their Parramatta unit in February 2017.
NSW Supreme Court heard how Ahmed demanded to see his wife’s mobile phone on February 18, dragging her around the house before coming across recent messages and reaching for a knife in the kitchen.
He is then believed to have ‘posted on Facebook and smoked a cigarette’ before calling emergency services.
She was found dead in the apartment, having suffered from 14 stab wounds.
Shahab Ahmed has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife of five-and-a-half years, Khondkar Faihi Elahi, in their Parramatta unit in February 2017 (pictured together)
Justice Monika Schmidt was told ‘he intended to kill’.
Ahmed, 35, entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter, which was not accepted by the Crown.
Prior to the attack, Ahmed had made a number of inquiries ‘about the various punishments’ for infidelity, according to Islam, and ‘had turned his mind to punishing his wife,’ the court heard.
Defence barrister Avni Djemal said Ahmed accepted legal and moral responsibility for the death of his wife.
‘The accused’s case is that at the time … he was substantially impaired by depressive illness,’ Mr Djemal said.
Ahmed’s lawyer said the couple met online and it was ‘not a marriage by arrangement, it was a marriage of love’
Ahmed was said to be furious about Ms Elahi’s betrayal after she pursued a relationship with one of their mutual friends.
At Ahmed’s judge-alone trial on Tuesday, Omar Khan admitted to having an affair with Ms Elahi from July 2015.
Mr Khan said he’d known Ahmed since 1999 and the two men and their wives had built up a strong friendship – which saw the couples holidaying in Bangladesh together.
He got Ms Elahi a job but was visited at work by Ahmed in April 2015 and accused of causing marital problems.
The Crown says at this time Ahmed expressed concerns to his GP of infidelity between his wife and Mr Khan.
Crown prosecutor Sean Hughes said: ‘There was kissing. Was it passionate kissing?’
At Ahmed’s judge-alone trial in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, Omar Khan (pictured) admitted to having an affair with Ms Elahi from July 2015
On February 18 in 2017, the court heard Ahmed demanded to see his wife’s mobile phone, dragging her around the house before coming across recent messages and reaching for a knife in the kitchen
‘That is correct, but not all the time, especially not when we are in public places,’ Mr Khan replied.
He said they held hands ‘quite often’ and exchanged gifts but did not have sexual intercourse.
Mr Khan on Tuesday said he’d received a phone call from Ahmed in September 2016, during which he stated: ‘I hope you’re happy. You can come over. I am leaving home.’
Ahmed’s lawyer said the couple met online and it was ‘not a marriage by arrangement, it was a marriage of love’.
He also said Ahmed’s reaction on the night of the stabbing was ‘out of character’.
The accused’s boss, Irfan Ali, testified that in the days before the incident, Ahmed said his wife wanted a divorce but ‘he didn’t want to’.
The trial continues.
Mr Khan (pictured) said he’d known Ahmed since 1999 and the two men and their wives built up a strong friendship – which saw the couples holidaying in Bangladesh together
He is then believed to have ‘posted on Facebook and smoked a cigarette’ before calling emergency services