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Man guilty of murdering stepmother with headscarf

News imageHandout A photo of Rizwana Kousar at a social event. She is a South Asian woman wearing a white-coloured headscarf and smiling.Handout
Rizwana Kousar's family paid tribute to their loved one after the jury's verdict

A man has been found guilty of murdering his stepmother after strangling her with her own headscarf.

Rizwana Kousar, 41, died two days after she was found unconscious at the family home in Bradford she shared with her husband and his son Abdul Sami, now 23, on 15 August 2023.

In a statement, her family described her as "a cherished daughter, sister, auntie, and friend, whose heart was always full of love and selflessness".

A jury at Bradford Crown Court took just under three-and-a-half hours to deliver a unanimous verdict. Sami, of Kensington Road, will be sentenced on Friday.

News imageWest Yorkshire Police A police mugshot of Abdul Sami, a South Asian male with black hair and a black beard. He also has brown eyes and is staring directly at the camera.West Yorkshire Police
Abdul Sami denied murdering his stepmother but was found guilty at trial

At the start of the trial prosecutor Kama Melly KC said Sami had called for an ambulance just before midday, claiming he had found his stepmother "half in and half out" of a bath with her head submerged in the water.

He was given directions to remove her and begin CPR, but Ms Melly said paramedics later noticed a red mark across the front of the woman's neck. She never regained consciousness.

A post-mortem examination revealed she died from a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen.

In his defence, Sami had said any mark to his stepmother's neck had been caused by him removing her traditional headscarf before attempting CPR.

Ms Melly said Sami's mobile phone was later examined by police, who found inheritance websites in his search history.

He had also searched: "Does a killer inherit from their victim's estate?".

'Immeasurable void'

The victim's family said her kindness and generosity "left an indelible mark on everyone she touched, bringing warmth and joy into countless lives".

"The void she has left is immeasurable, and our hearts are shattered by her absence."

They added: "Nothing can erase the profound pain and devastation that has engulfed our family, we hope only to seek justice for Rizwana."

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