Man jailed for stabbing wife in front of terrified daughter

Mother-of-two Tahiba Khaliq, 25, suffered six wounds to her back, chest, chin and arms in the violent attack in the centre of Rotherham.

The couple’s seven-year-old daughter was left covered in blood and crying as she pleaded with her father to stop.

Hussain launched the attack after the couple’s arranged marriage broke down and she refused his pleas to go back.

Jailing Hussain, Mr Justice Davis said it was a “disgrace” that he thought he had the absolute right to return to his wife despite what had happened.

He told the court: “He seems to think he has the right to go back to her.

“That is fantastical.

“He can’t think he can just do what he likes with her.

“He has chosen to live in this country and he must live by the laws of this country.”

Describing the attack to the jury Ms Khaliq said: “I felt really scared. I thought he was going to kill me and finish me off.”

She was left bleeding profusely as Hussain knifed her from behind before he pursued her into a taxi and continued to stab her.

The court heard the couple had married in Pakistan when Ms Khaliq was 16. Hussain came to the UK in 2004.

He and his wife separated in June 2010 and their home was repossessed over mortgage debts.

Hussain, of Carlisle Street, Rotherham was cleared by a jury of attempted murder but had previously admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Shoppers, workmen, bank staff and others went to help the victim during the lunchtime attack on Bridgegate last September.

Hussain coolly sauntered off and threatened to kill an elderly man before he was arrested by police in the town’s bus station.

On the day of the attack he confronted his wife in the street and asked her to return but she refused.

“He got hold of my daughter and tried to get her off me and he hit her as well. She was terrified.

“My daughter was crying and screaming, telling him to get off me. He didn’t say anything. He was angry.”

Hussain made little comment to the police after his arrest on legal advice but later told custody officers he loved his wife and had “done something bad to her”.

His barrister Rupert Bowers said his lack of education played an important part in the events. It was a forced marriage and the problems emanated from there.

“It was not a pre-meditated attack but a sudden, short and violent loss of self-control,” he said.

The judge said Hussain was lucky that his wife’s injuries were not any worse.

He went on: “I regard this as a very serious matter that you did all this in the presence of your own little daughter.

“I don’t suppose you have even troubled to think about the effect on her. There may well be long-term psychological damage who knows?”