https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12877165/family-jailed-abusing-vegetative-bride-arranged-marriage.htmlFamily who 'doused bride in chemicals' and 'force-fed her pills' that left her in a vegetative state because she 'failed to meet their expectations' after she was flown from Pakistan for arranged marriage are convicted of abuse
Ambreen Fatima Sheikh suffered 'irretrievable' brain damage
By Chris Brooke and Tom Cotterill
Published: 13:57, 18 December 2023 | Updated: 15:44, 18 December 2023
Family members were today convicted of the sinister physical abuse of an arranged marriage bride flown from Pakistan who has been in a persistent vegetative state for eight years. Ambreen Fatima Sheikh can breathe unaided but has suffered 'irretrievable' brain damage that has left her with no consciousness of the world around her. A court heard that Ambreen may have been the victim of a possible 'torture' with a chemical substance, and there may have also been an attempt to kill her with a dangerous drug. However, exactly what happened behind the closed doors remains uncertain because the family closed ranks and none of them gave evidence in their defence at Leeds Crown Court. Before joining her husband in Britain, Ambreen was said to be a well-educated 'happy-go-lucky' young woman. But she spoke little English and once in Huddersfield she barely left the house. Next door neighbours revealed they had no idea she was even living there for nine months. The court heard the probable explanation for the 38-year-old's condition was that she had unwillingly swallowed tablets prescribed to her diabetic mother-in-law that resulted in a hypoglycaemic attack. Such tablets are extremely dangerous if taken by non-diabetics and have been dubbed 'one pill killers' to small children. The prosecution said that the tablets were not taken voluntarily and by then the socially isolated and vulnerable Ambreen had suffered a 'pattern of violence' behind the closed doors of the terraced house in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire that she shared with her husband, parents-in-law and brother and sister-in-law. A large black wound on her lower back was said to have been caused by a caustic chemical substance in the days before Ambreen was rushed to hospital in an unconscious state. The chemical probably also caused an injury to her ear, the court heard. Anyone in the household not involved in the physical abuse would have realised she was at risk but taking her to A&E would have led to questions being asked and an investigation. Police were alerted when hospital doctors feared Ambreen's injuries could be suspicious. Nurses were also concerned she was 'malnourished' and 'unkempt' in appearance. Ambreen was initially put on a life support machine and police believed they could soon be dealing with a murder inquiry. When the ventilator was switched off Ambreen was able to breathe but has remained in a vegetative state with no change in her condition since August 2015. Police questioned all five family members who lived in the house and no one provided an explanation for what happened. Ambreen came to the UK in November 2014 after marrying Asgar, now 31, in 2013 in an arranged marriage in Pakistan. He told police: 'I love my wife so much why would I hurt her?'
But eight years after Ambreen's collapse Asgar, along with her father-in-law Khalid Sheikh, 55, mother-in-law Shabnam Sheikh, 53, sister-in-law Shagufa Sheikh, 29, and brother-in-law Sakalayne, 24, went on trial over the bride's treatment and an ensuing cover-up. The jury took 10 hours to find Asgar, Khalid, Shabnam, and Shagufa guilty of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm. Only Sakalyne was found not guilty of this offence. Shagufa, Shabnam and Asgar were also found guilty of doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice. All five defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Sentencing was adjourned. When questioned by police at the time, Sakalayne, then 16 and a school drop-out, said: 'We don't really talk to any other people. We keep ourselves to ourselves.'
There was evidence Ambreen 'didn't meet expectations' and fit in with her new family. A relative of the Sheikh family said they complained she was 'smelly' and didn't shower regularly and did not cook and clean for her husband. The couple were said to have 'had a fight' that led to Ambreen sleeping in another room. There was also an incident three weeks before Ambreen was rushed to hospital. A relative had tried to contact Ambreen by phone and asked her daughter in Yorkshire to check on her. When she and a man knocked on the door Shabnam wouldn't let them see her and an 'angry' Asgar came to the door and allegedly threatened 'I will kill you if I see you again.'
The incident was reported to police and officers visited the next day to check on Ambreen, who was found to show no signs of distress, neglect or harm. But something did happen in the house with disastrous consequences to Ambreen's health and at 1am on August 1, 2015, the family called for an ambulance. They reported Ambreen had suddenly become unresponsive. She never regained consciousness and medical evidence indicted their account to paramedics was a lie. Experts believe in reality she collapsed unconscious up to 48 hours earlier and suffered a brain injury when her airway became blocked. She had been vomiting and incontinent but paramedics found her clean and in clean clothes after being moved to another bedroom. Her soiled clothing and bedding had been disposed of in a wheelie bin outside and under a tarpaulin downstairs an attempt claimed prosecutor Robert Smith, KC, to deflect any police investigation. Ambreen was not diabetic and several experts concluded her condition was the result of hypoglycaemia a low level of blood sugar that can cause brain damage. Although there was no evidence to indicate how it happened, prosecution experts concluded that Ambreen ingesting one or two tablets of her mother-in-law's prescribed glimepiride medication which lowers blood sugar in diabetics was the likely explanation. It was described as a 'really powerful drug' which can kill a young child who innocently swallows one. The judge remanded Asgar, Khalid and Shabnam in custody. The two younger defendants were given conditional bail.
