Husband jailed for trying to murder wife outside family court ahead of divorce hearing
- 5 months ago
A jilted husband who tried to murder his estranged wife outside a family court ahead of their divorce hearing 'to teach her a lesson' has been jailed for 24 years.
Asim Abdulrasul, 47, repeatedly stabbed Wafae Khatab during the frenzied broad daylight attack after ambushing her outside Birmingham Civil & Family Justice Centre.
A court heard the 'controlling' thug chased his ex through the busy city centre before knifing her in the head in front of horrified commuters and shoppers last August.
The attack, which only lasted six seconds, was ended when brave members of the public rushed to Wafae's aid and dragged her to safety into a café.
Jurors were told after being arrested Abdulrasul laughed and told police: "I did it to teach her a lesson".
Abdulrasul, of Coventry, denied attempted murder, possessing a knife and coercive and controlling behaviour but was found guilty following a trial in July.
He was jailed for 24 years at Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (15/12).
Sentencing, Judge Heidi Kubic said: "On 16 August last year you attempted to murder Wafae Khatab in broad day light in the centre of this city.
"People were on their way to work.
"At the time you were consumed with embittered rage because Mrs Khatab had rejected you as a husband and left you some three years ago.
"You were only prevented from succeeding in this outrageous and frenzied attack by the brave actions of two members of the public.
"You controlled what she wore and who she socialised with. On August 17, 2019 you saw her speaking with a male co worker at your then place of work.
"As a result of that you assaulted her, telling her that she would die, here in the UK, and threatened to send her head back to her family in Morocco in a box.
"She was terrified of you and two days later when she rejected your sexual advances you assaulted her, slapping and kicking her to the abdomen."
The judge said the victim had fled to a woman's refuge, even leaving her shoes behind and she had taken a non molestation order out against the defendant.
She added: "You no longer knew where she lived and you then launched a smear campaign on the Internet causing enormous embarrassment for her and her parents in Morocco."
Referring to the attack, she said: "CCTV footage clearly shows that from the moment you caught up with her you delivered seven or eight blows towards her head with the knife within just six seconds.
"In just six seconds you managed to inflict serious injuries."
Michael Williams, prosecuting, said the pair had met online in 2015 when Wafae was living in Morocco and Abdulrasul in Coventry.
They married in Morocco and came back to the UK in 2018. The court heard he wanted to start a family immediately but she had difficulty in conceiving a child.
During the relationship Abdulrasul had been violent towards her and in 2021 she started divorce proceedings, which he had contested.
Asim Abdulrasul, 47, repeatedly stabbed Wafae Khatab during the frenzied broad daylight attack after ambushing her outside Birmingham Civil & Family Justice Centre.
A court heard the 'controlling' thug chased his ex through the busy city centre before knifing her in the head in front of horrified commuters and shoppers last August.
The attack, which only lasted six seconds, was ended when brave members of the public rushed to Wafae's aid and dragged her to safety into a café.
Jurors were told after being arrested Abdulrasul laughed and told police: "I did it to teach her a lesson".
Abdulrasul, of Coventry, denied attempted murder, possessing a knife and coercive and controlling behaviour but was found guilty following a trial in July.
He was jailed for 24 years at Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (15/12).
Sentencing, Judge Heidi Kubic said: "On 16 August last year you attempted to murder Wafae Khatab in broad day light in the centre of this city.
"People were on their way to work.
"At the time you were consumed with embittered rage because Mrs Khatab had rejected you as a husband and left you some three years ago.
"You were only prevented from succeeding in this outrageous and frenzied attack by the brave actions of two members of the public.
"You controlled what she wore and who she socialised with. On August 17, 2019 you saw her speaking with a male co worker at your then place of work.
"As a result of that you assaulted her, telling her that she would die, here in the UK, and threatened to send her head back to her family in Morocco in a box.
"She was terrified of you and two days later when she rejected your sexual advances you assaulted her, slapping and kicking her to the abdomen."
The judge said the victim had fled to a woman's refuge, even leaving her shoes behind and she had taken a non molestation order out against the defendant.
She added: "You no longer knew where she lived and you then launched a smear campaign on the Internet causing enormous embarrassment for her and her parents in Morocco."
Referring to the attack, she said: "CCTV footage clearly shows that from the moment you caught up with her you delivered seven or eight blows towards her head with the knife within just six seconds.
"In just six seconds you managed to inflict serious injuries."
Michael Williams, prosecuting, said the pair had met online in 2015 when Wafae was living in Morocco and Abdulrasul in Coventry.
They married in Morocco and came back to the UK in 2018. The court heard he wanted to start a family immediately but she had difficulty in conceiving a child.
During the relationship Abdulrasul had been violent towards her and in 2021 she started divorce proceedings, which he had contested.