Yahoo News Iranian admits stabbing wife to death after she refused to support immigration application to remain in UK
An Iranian immigrant faces jail after he admitted murdering his wife after she refused to support his application to remain in the UK.
Dana Abdullah used a kitchen knife to stab mother-of-four Avan Najmadeen multiple times before covering her body in a solvent on October 1.
The 35-year-old, who claimed to have been tortured in Iraq, then washed the weapon in the sink and put it back where he found it, a court heard.
The couple shared the same immigration solicitor and, after finding out Ms Najmadeen had asked the lawyer on September 28 not to co-operate with his application, Abdullah left her to die at her home in Glebedale Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.
The turpentine-based substance and the 32-year-old victim’s mobile phone were not recovered from the scene.
Stafford Crown Court heard Ms Najmadeen had deliberately moved address on a number of occasions so the defendant did not know where she was living.
Following proceedings through a Kurdish interpreter, Abdullah, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm his name and his guilty plea.
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A previous hearing at the same court was told Abdullah had claimed he suffered from PTSD after being tortured in Iraq.
Prosecutor Andrew Smith QC said: ‘The Crown’s case is this was a planned, pre-meditated killing – the reasons being she did not support his case in relation to immigration.
‘A knife in the kitchen had been used, washed, and put back.’
During the 30-minute hearing on Tuesday, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: ‘The defendant had made a considered decision to murder his wife and had gone there to do that.’
Abdullah’s defence barrister Charles Miskin QC conceded it was not in dispute that it was a planned killing.
Adjourning sentence until April 1 at the same court, the judge told Abdullah: ‘You have had the courage to plead guilty to this matter and will get appropriate credit for that in due course.’
Sentencing has been adjourned until April 1.
