On the morning of January 27, Syed Ahmad, 45, fatally stabbed his wife Anam Rafay at their home in Wythenshawe, Manchester. A post-mortem examination revealed 40 stab wounds to her neck, body, arms, and legs, causing cardiac arrest. Initially denying murder, Ahmad claimed he acted in self-defence during a psychotic episode, but later pleaded guilty after two weeks of trial at Manchester Crown Court. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, July 31.
Background of Abuse and Control
The couple entered an arranged marriage in Pakistan in 2005, when Rafay was 16 and Ahmad was 25. Prosecuting barrister Bill Baker KC stated that Ahmad's family promised to treat Rafay as a daughter, but instead forced her to perform all household chores and restricted her eating. Baker added: "The defendant's family promised her family that she would be treated as an actual daughter, not daughter in law. They didn't do so. They made her do all the housework and she wasn't allowed to eat until they had finished eating."
Throughout the marriage, Ahmad was described as abusive, controlling, and violent. Former colleague Gemma Mulvaney, who worked with Rafay at a Manchester school from 2019, recalled his strange behaviour: "He used to follow her to work in the car, but she would walk. I call it kerb crawling. He used to drive really slowly next to her. He would then wait until she entered the building and then he would leave. I asked her why he doesn't let her in the car and she said she didn't know." Another colleague, Kirsty Tomlin, testified that Rafay described Ahmad as 'horrible' and 'evil'. Tomlin said: "She said he used to beat her up, he never helped her in the house. He just wasn't nice to her. She said she wasn't happy in her marriage. She said she couldn't leave him because he would kill her."
Divorce Proceedings
In June last year, Rafay began speaking to a man she met on TikTok, forming a close friendship and eventually falling in love. She sought a divorce and in September contacted a mufti (divorce mediator) in Longsight. She served the divorce application on Ahmad in October, who requested mediation. Rafay agreed to give him "one more chance to change," but the court heard that he never did. The night before the attack, Rafay told Ahmad she wanted a divorce.
The Fatal Attack
On the morning of January 27, Rafay was filling a water bottle in the kitchen when Ahmad approached from behind with a kitchen knife. He repeatedly stabbed her, causing her to collapse. Baker described the scene: "She managed to get up and went next door seeking help. The defendant chased her, caught up with her and started stabbing her again." Neighbours witnessed Ahmad stabbing her on the ground before he walked back to the house, reportedly smiling or smirking. He then sent a message to the family WhatsApp group and to Rafay's father, stating: "I have killed my wife."
Court Defense and Guilty Plea
In arrest footage, Ahmad said "I'm truly sorry" but later claimed self-defence, saying "she attacked me." During his testimony, defense barrister Mark Ford KC asked if he accepted killing his wife. Ahmad replied: "I was in a psychotic episode." He claimed he heard a male voice telling him his wife would "smash his head in" and had no memory of the stabbing. "Just flashbacks. Someone stabbed my wife, I think it was me," he said. Despite initially denying murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter, Ahmad changed his plea to guilty on July 28, prompting jurors to record a formal guilty verdict. He will be sentenced on July 31 at Manchester Crown Court.
