20 April 2023 , 13:02
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An abusive husband whose violence was recorded by his wife has been found guilty of her murder.
Asim Hasan stabbed Aaisha Hasan 36 times at the family home in Canning Town, east London, on May 19 last year.
But despite telling a court he had not intended to seriously harm her, the 33-year-old was found guilty of murder on Thursday thanks to Aaisha documenting his abuse.
A jury took just 90 minutes to convict Hasan following a trial at the Old Bailey.
The court heard how, in the weeks before 34-year-old Aaisha's murder, the defendant had thrown cruel accusations she was having an affair - despite later evidence showing he had been talking to other women on a dating site.
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Mrs Hasan has become so frightened of her husband's violence she began recording him on her phone, sharing her fears with friends on WhatsApp.
Aaisha Hasan was able to record her abuse, helping to convict her husband for her murderTerrified Aaisha also took pictures of her injuries such as a black eye and cuts to her face, storing them in a hidden folder.
In a "desperate" WhatsApp to friends sent just 10 days before her murder, Aashia voiced fears "he would have killed me" were it not for others in the house at the time.
Mrs Hasan wrote: “I don’t want to call the police on him coz this can get him into serious trouble. I just want him out the house now. I don’t feel safe.”
The next day, Hasan continued to accuse Aaisha of “cheating” despite her repeated denials, according to one recording.
A neighbour alerted police but, because Mrs Hasan appeared well and made no complaint, the matter was not taken further, the jury was told.
In another recording, Mrs Hasan accused her husband of hitting her and said: “The next time you will kill me. The next time you will kill me, I don’t want that.”
On the morning of May 19, Hasan called 999 and told the operator: "I just stabbed my wife."
Aaisha was found in a pool of blood on the floor of their Canning Town flatMrs Hasan suffered 36 wounds in the "ferocious and really quite savage attack", Mr Smith said.
One stab was inflicted with such force it "cut a wedge of bone" from her skull, he said.
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Police and paramedics arrived at the couple's home to find Mrs Hasan lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood, and she was pronounced dead at 7.20am.
A black-handled kitchen knife, which the defendant allegedly used, was found on the cooker.
After being arrested and interviewed by police, Hasan allegedly said: "I am guilty and you can charge me."
Mr Smith told jurors that, in a "cruel twist", Hasan was the one looking to have an extramarital affair, contacting a woman on a Muslim dating site days before his wife's death.
Following the unanimous guilty verdict, Judge Anthony Leonard remanded Hasan into custody and adjourned sentencing until May 25.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, of Scotland Yard, said: "Hasan carried out a ferocious and savage attack on his wife, stabbing her at least 26 times.
"Aaisha had tried to defend herself during Hasan’s frenzied attack, but she did not stand a chance against him.
"Hasan had denied murdering Aaisha, claiming he had not intended to at least cause serious harm.
"Thankfully the jury disagreed and recognised the fact that you do not carry out a sustained, brutal attack such as that without, at the very least, intending to cause serious harm."
Two women are killed by a partner every week in the UK. For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.