A Birmingham couple who wore giraffe masks are jailed for trying to kill his step-mum
The husband and wife from Kings Norton have been sentenced to more 20 years in prison
A man and his wife have been jailed for more than 20 years in total after attempting to murder his step-mum at her Birmingham home.
Wasif Hussain, 21 and his wife Nabela Tabassum, 19, wore giraffe animal masks before they attacked her with a knife and hammer at her home in Kings Norton, on the evening of 29 January last year.
The two had denied attempted murder but were found guilty following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court which concluded in March.
Today the two appeared back at court for sentencing. Hussain was jailed for 15 years and Tabassum was told she must serve nine years behind bars.
In the frenzied attack, which was caught on a camera installed in the home, Hussain struck her head with a hammer, strangling, punching and stabbing her while Tabassum restrained her.
The woman suffered a stab wound to her arms as well as defensive knife injuries but survived the attack. She managed to convince the couple to let her go upstairs where she was able to lock herself in a room and call us for help.
Immediately after the attack the two fled Birmingham but we were able to track them down and arrested them in Bolton in the early hours the following day.
The couple are believed to have tried to kill her because they were angry after being accused of not doing any chores and treating the family home like a hotel. The two snapped and carried out the attack after they were asked to leave the home.
Detective Inspector Laura Allen, from Public Protection, said:
“The two will spend many years behind bars highlights to anyone who acts in this way that they will be arrested, charged and brought before the courts.
“This was a calculated and frenzied attack on a defenceless woman using weapons including a knife and hammer. She was very lucky to have survived this attack.
“I would like to thank Sgt Gareth Glass who worked tirelessly along with his team to gather vital evidence which ultimately led to Hussain and Tabassum’s conviction.
“My thoughts are with the victim who continues to recover from the trauma of her experience.”