A man accused of murdering his pregnant wife by pushing her off Arthur’s Seat was abusive, violent and controlling towards her, his trial heard.
Kashif Anwar is charged with the murder of Fawziyah Javed and causing the death of her unborn child at the Edinburgh landmark.
Fawziyah, 31, suffered multiple blunt force trauma in the fall “from height”, the court heard, and died at the scene in Holyrood Park on September 2 2021.
Anwar, who denies the charges against him, is accused of previously showing “malice and ill will towards her”.
The 29-year-old is also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner the previous day. He allegedly repeatedly shouted at his wife in the Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in the capital’s Quartermile.
The jury heard on Wednesday that prosecutors may lead evidence that Anwar once put a pillow over his wife’s face during an alleged assault.
It may be alleged Anwar accessed his wife’s bank account to transfer £12,000 of her cash to himself, and threatened violence if she ended their relationship.
The court was told the couple began their relationship in August 2019 and got engaged in July 2020. They had an Islamic wedding ceremony on December 25 2020.
The jury of nine women and six men at the High Court in Edinburgh were read a note of alleged evidence the Crown may lead during the trial.
The note alleged Anwar carried out controlling and abusive behaviour against his wife on various occasions between April 1 2020 and August 26 2021 at addresses in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
This included preventing her from contacting her friends, controlling and monitoring her movements, and refusing to allow her access to her car.
Anwar allegedly blocked contacts from her mobile phone, and instructed her to send photos to prove her whereabouts and show what clothes she was wearing.
Anwar allegedly made threats towards her should she end the relationship, and uttered threats and derogatory remarks toward her family.
The Crown may lead evidence Anwar struck Fawziyah on the head on Christmas Day 2020.
Anwar allegedly accessed Fawziyah’s online banking and transferred £12,000 from her account to his own.
He allegedly placed a pillow over Fawziyah’s face on an occasion in Leeds between March 11 and 14 2021, restricting her breathing and repeatedly punched her on the head.
The note alleged Anwar uttered threatening remarks towards Fawziyah at a cemetery in Pudsey, near Leeds, in March 2021, and threatened violence against her parents should she end their relationship. Anwar allegedly struggled with Fawziyah and caused her to fall to the ground and strike her head, rendering her unconscious.
Anwar allegedly shouted and swore at Fawziyah in an address in Leeds on various occasions between April 29 and May 1 2021, as well as making threatening remarks towards her and her family members, making threats to ruin her life, and threatening to track her movements with a tracker device installed in her car.
Anwar allegedly pushed Fawziyah, then pregnant, causing her to fall to the ground on an occasion in England between August 1 and 21 2021.
Anwar allegedly stopped a car on the journey between Birmingham and Leeds on August 14 2021 in the hours of darkness and refused to provide Fawziyah with its keys.
He allegedly shouted and swore at her in Leeds General Infirmary on August 23 2021, and made threatening and abusive remarks.
At a dental facility in Headingley, West Yorkshire, on August 25 2021, Anwar allegedly behaved in an aggressive manner and made derogatory remarks to Fawziyah.
On the next day in Pudsey, Anwar allegedly repeatedly drove a car toward Fawziyah, followed her in the vehicle, repeatedly pushed her, and forcibly took her phone.
On August 26 2021 in Pudsey and Leeds, Anwar allegedly repeatedly phoned Fawziyah, threatened that he wouldn’t allow her to divorce him or allow her to remarry, and threatened her with violence if she went to police.
The trial before judge Lord Beckett continues.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
