Watchdog investigates West Yorkshire Police over its contact with arranged marriage bride from Pakistan who was left in a vegetative state after ‘wicked’ mistreatment by her husband and parents-in-law

A police force is being investigated over its contact with an arranged marriage bride who ended up in a persistent vegetative state after ‘wicked’ mistreatment by her husband and parents-in-law.

Two police officers visited Ambreen Fatima Sheikh three weeks before she was taken to hospital in an unconscious state from which she has never recovered after eight years.

The court heard the officers – acting after a report from a concerned acquaintance who went to the house the day before – saw Ambreen but found no signs of ‘harm, injury or neglect.’

Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation following a mandatory referral by West Yorkshire Police, made after comments by the trial judge.

Last week Ambreen’s husband Asgar Sheikh, 31, father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55, and mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh, 52, were each jailed for seven years and nine months at Leeds Crown Court.

Ambreen Fatima Sheikh (pictured) was visited by two police officers three weeks before she was taken to hospital in an unconscious state from which she has never recovered after eight years

Ambreen's husband Asgar Sheikh, 31, was last week jailed for seven years and nine momnths at Leeds Crown Court

Ambreen’s husband Asgar Sheikh, 31, was last week jailed for seven years and nine momnths at Leeds Crown Court

They were convicted by a jury of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The court heard how ‘vulnerable’ Ambreen, who came to the UK from Pakistan in 2014 to live with her new husband, was ‘tricked or forced’ into swallowing tablets prescribed to her diabetic mother-in-law that resulted in a hypoglycaemic attack.

Such tablets are extremely dangerous if taken by non-diabetics.

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 new family.

A large black wound on her lower back was said to have been caused by a caustic chemical substance, probably a cleaning fluid, in the days before she was taken to hospital on 1 August 2015.

Three weeks earlier there was an incident that triggered police involvement.

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 two officers visited the next day, 12 July, to check on Ambreen.

The officers were unable to properly communicate with Ambreen as she spoke little English and the Judge Mrs Justice Lambert said the presence of Khalid meant she attached ‘little weight’ to the officers’ assessment that there was no evidence of neglect.

Father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55

Mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh, 52,

Father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55, (left) and mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh, 52, were also jailed for seven years and nine months of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

However, after the visit one of the officers did ask the operator who took the original tip off call to get back in touch with the caller, but the court was told no further contact was made.

Commenting on the investigation into the police’s actions, IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry said: ‘Our thoughts are with Ms Sheikh and her loved ones, as well as all those affected by this deeply distressing incident.

‘In light of the comments made during the recent court hearing, and the unimaginable suffering she has endured, it is only right that a thorough investigation takes place to understand the nature and extent of the police interaction with Ms Sheikh in July 2015.

‘This will be carried out entirely independently of the police and consider whether there were any missed opportunities to safeguard her in the days and weeks before she was admitted to hospital.’

West Yorkshire Police said it would make no further comment as the IOPC was now investigating.

Ambreen, now 39, is still alive. She can breathe unaided but has suffered ‘irretrievable’ brain damage that has left her with no consciousness of the world around her.

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