A man has been found guilty of murder after he stabbed his wife to death in a frenzied attack and then called the police.
On Thursday, 20 April, following a trial at the Old Bailey, the jury unanimously found Asim Hasan, 33 (02.06.89), of Burrard Road, Newham, guilty of the murder of his wife Aaisha Hasan, 34.
He will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 25 May.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, 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.”
The court heard that Hasan called 999 at 06:24hrs on 19 May 2022 and told the operator that he had just stabbed his wife. He continued speaking to the operator while officers and the London Ambulance Service scrambled to the scene, telling them he was just waiting for police to come and arrest him.
When the emergency services arrived, they immediately commenced with CPR, but despite their best efforts, Aaisha was declared dead at the scene.
Hasan was arrested on suspicion of murder and was taken to an east London police station.
In his police interview, he was asked to tell officers how his wife died. He replied: “I am guilty, and you can charge me.” He then answered no comment to the following questions.
He was charged with murder on 20 May 2022.
The post-mortem examination showed that Aaisha suffered 36 sharp force wounds, including at least 26 stab wounds.
The jury heard that the couple were having relationship problems and there had been arguments about money and Hasan’s abusive behaviour.
Aaisha became so sufficiently scared of her husband that she began secretly recording his behaviour and messaged friends about her concerns.
Just 10 days before she was murdered, on 9 May 2022, she messaged friends to say that the day before he had attacked her following an argument.
She added: “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 following day, on 10 May, Hasan again started arguing with Aaisha. She secretly recorded his behaviour, where he was heard refusing to let her out of a room. He also threatened to pick-up a knife, with Aaisha telling him he would ‘kill her.’
A neighbour overheard the argument and police attended the address, but Aaisha appeared well and made no complaint, and so the matter was not taken any further.
In another recording made by Aaisha, Hasan began shouting at her and attacked her. She told him to leave the house, adding: “The next time you will kill me, the next time you will kill me, I don’t want that.”
Following her murder, detectives found photographs of bruising to her face on Aaisha’s phone, dated between 27 February and 8 May.
DCI Rogers added: “Domestic abuse is often a hidden crime and we know it remains significantly under-reported. For some people, home is not a safe place and many victims may be reluctant or fear asking for help.
“Our clear message to victims is to reach out to police or other support agencies and seek help – we will respond with sensitivity, and we will work with you to provide the appropriate support, whilst keeping you safe and dealing robustly with the perpetrator.
“If you know a friend, relative or neighbour who you believe might be a victim of domestic abuse, we would strongly urge you to report your concerns to police or Crimestoppers anonymously – your call could prevent serious harm and save someone from a dangerous, desperate situation.”
