An Iranian man has admitted murdering his wife after she had refused to support his application to remain in the UK.
Dana Abdullah used a kitchen knife to stab mother-of-four Avan Najmadeen at her home in Stoke-on-Trent in October.
The couple had shared the same immigration lawyer until Abdullah discovered Ms Najmadeen had asked the solicitor not to cooperate with her husband’s application.
Stafford Crown Court heard how just three days later, the 35-year-old stabbed his wife multiple times before covering her body in a turpentine-based solvent.
Abdullah then washed the murder weapon in the sink before putting it back where he had found it.
Police discovered the victim’s body after they were called to investigate when she failed to collect her children from school later that day.
Ms Najmadeen had deliberately moved address on a number of occasions so the defendant did not know where she was living, the court was told.
Following proceedings through a Kurdish interpreter, Abdullah spoke only to confirm his name and his guilty plea.
A previous hearing at the same court was told the defendant had claimed he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being tortured in Iraq.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Andrew Smith QC said: “The Crown’s case is this was a planned, pre-meditated killing - the reasons being she did not support his case in relation to immigration.”
Abdullah’s defence barrister, Charles Miskin QC, conceded it was not in dispute that his client’s actions amounted to a planned killing.
Judge Michael Chambers noted during the 30-minute hearing that: “The defendant had made a considered decision to murder his wife and had gone there to do that.”
Adjourning the case until sentencing on 1 April at the same court, the judge told Abdullah: “You have had the courage to plead guilty to this matter and will get appropriate credit for that in due course.”
Additional reporting by PA
