A man has been found guilty of attempting to murder his wife, who was left in a coma and permanently brain-damaged following an attack at their home in Birmingham.
Attack and injuries
Mother-of-four Madia Bano, 25, suffered a suspected stab wound to her head at her home on Villa Road in Lozells on November 1 last year. The injury, discovered by CT scan, fractured her skull and penetrated her brain. She remains in a coma to this day.
Medical experts concluded that parts of her brain are now dead, and her injuries typically result in a condition called Locked-in plus syndrome. She is expected to be severely disabled for the rest of her life and require a high level of dependency.
Trial and verdict
During the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the prosecution argued that the circumstantial evidence led to the 'irresistible conclusion' that her husband, Amir Khan, also 25, was responsible. Khan had called emergency services claiming she had fallen.
On Tuesday, May 5, a jury found Khan guilty of attempted murder. The implement used in the attack has never been recovered.
Prosecution's case
Sally Howes KC, prosecuting, stated: 'The injury to the head of Ms Bano has caused irreversible and permanent brain damage considered medically life-threatening, life-changing with a significant increased risk of early death.'
She added: 'It's the Crown's case that a stab to the head with severe force sufficient to pass through the skull bone and into the brain is accompanied by nothing less than an intent to kill.'
The motive for the attack remains unclear. Khan, who is an illegal overstayer in the UK, faces sentencing on May 13.
