Argument tragedy as wife, 80, struck by rolling pin

Manzoor Begum, a mother of eight, was found unconscious and bleeding in her mid-terrace home in Salt Street in Manningham, Bradford, in October 2010.

An inquest at Bradford Coroner’s Court heard she and her 78-year-old husband, retired textile worker, Ali Mohammed Sher, were both injured during the argument.

Detective Superintendent Dave Pervin of West Yorkshire Police told the inquest their sons found a horrific scene with both their parents collapsed and furniture upturned in the kitchen dining area.

Mr Pervin said: “Mr Sher, who was injured and conscious, told some of the witnesses present that he and his wife had argued and she had hit him over the head with a stick and he had hit her back and he thought he may have killed her.”

Describing the findings of forensic examinations of the scene, the detective added: “While Mr Sher’s hands were wet with his own blood, he’s used the walking stick to support himself and used the rolling pin to strike Manzoor Begum.”

The officer said Mr Sher and Mrs Begum both sustained injuries while trying to defend themselves.

He added: “What’s unclear from the evidence and can probably never be established is who of the two of them was the aggressor in this argument, who assaulted who first and with what and what it was that led to this argument after so many years of happy marriage.”

Mrs Begum, who suffered a cut to her scalp and several impact injuries to her head, arms and hands, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

A post-mortem examination found she had died from sudden cardiac arrest because of underlying heart disease in combination with the blows she received to her head and blood loss from the scalp wound.

Mr Sher suffered fractures to his wrist and fingers and a non-severe head injury and was treated in hospital for six to seven weeks.

He was initially arrested on suspicion of his wife’s murder but was never well enough to be interviewed by police and died nine months later from dementia with pneumonia and diabetes.

Mr Pervin told the hearing: “It’s very clear that Mr Ali Sher really could not live without his wife and I think there’s an element of him giving up the will to live when he lost his wife.”

The couple had lived in Manningham for 25 years and had been in poor health.

Mr Sher required daily injections of insulin and as well as receiving regular nursing care the couple were well looked after by family members including a daughter-in-law, Zohra Khatoon.

The detective was forced to defend a delay in the arrival of paramedics, who one of the couple’s sons, Khalil Hussain, said were slow to arrive.

He told the hearing there had been an intimidating atmosphere outside the couple’s home where between 300 to 400 residents had been milling around. So the ambulance had instead parked nearby with the medics inside until reassured of their safety.

“When the chief paramedic arrived they didn’t go in immediately because there seemed to be a vociferous crowd,” he said. “That delay in getting into the house in all probability would not have made any difference.”

Coroner Roger Whittaker recorded an open verdict.

“It’s a great tragedy after so long in a happy marriage that it all ends like this,” he said.

Speaking after the inquest, Khalil Hussain said: “The verdict is based on the evidence they have got in front of them. I know my mother and father were very loving and caring to each other.”

Of the ambulance response he said: “We were very unhappy with the ambulance service. In such an emergency you should be trying to get in there as quickly as you can.”