A man has been found guilty of attempting to murder his wife in Birmingham, England.
West Midlands Police confirmed in a press release on Friday, Aug. 22, that Raju Mollah was convicted on Monday, Aug. 18, after attacking his wife with hot oil and physically assaulting her.
“The 49-year-old was arrested on 12 January this year, after we were called to reports of a man attacking a woman,” the release stated, noting that the trial took place at the Birmingham Crown Court.
“Following an investigation, it was found that Mollah viciously attacked his wife by pouring hot oil on her face, before violently assaulting her in a sustained attack,” authorities added.
In court, Mollah admitted to intentionally causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but denied attempting to murder his wife, Mosammed Mumtaz.
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Mumtaz suffered burns to her head and body, according to Birmingham Mail. The outlet reported that Mumtaz said her husband poured hot oil on her face and assaulted her with heated hot plate racks after asking her to make him an omelette. She lost several teeth during the attack, during which she was punched and kicked by Mollah.
Though Mollah reportedly told emergency responders that his wife had “fallen,” she told paramedics, “My husband tried to kill me,” adding, “He’s a bad man, he threw oil over me.”
Prosecutors said the couple, married for 23 years, argued over selling a home reportedly owned by Mumtaz, per Birmingham Mail. While Mollah admitted to some responsibility for the dispute, he claimed that Mumtaz threatened him with a knife and said she “knocked the oil onto herself after he pushed her away.”
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“This was a vicious attack, where he clearly tried to kill his wife,” Rebecca Pugh and George Kawalek said in a statement included in West Midlands Police’s release. “The victim has been very brave having sustained significant and life-changing injuries and thankfully Mollah will be spending a good amount of time behind bars.”
Mollah is scheduled to be sentenced in November.
