Man found guilty of murdering his wife by pushing her off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
Fawziyah Javed, a victim of abuse, was murdered by her husband (Image by Yasmin Javed/SWNS)
A man who murdered his pregnant wife by pushing her off Arthur’s Seat has been found guilty.
Kashif Anwar killed Fawziyah Javed, 31, in September 2021 after pushing her from the 823ft high hill which caused fatal injuries to her and her unborn child.
Anwar, who is from Leeds, denied all charges during the trial, but the 29-year-old was found guilty at the city’s High Court last week and given a minimum jail sentence of 20 years.
Javed, an employment lawyer who was 17 weeks pregnant, identified her husband as the one who shoved her before she took her last breath. CCTV footage of Anwar leading his wife to the landmark was released. The couple had married just nine months prior to the incident.
The woman’s mother Yasmin said that her daughter had left a legacy which will save countless lives. She said, “Fawziyah was a highly-educated lawyer. Strong. Independent. She was empowered.
“The common misunderstanding is that women who are abused have got nowhere to go and have no support. Fawziyah was the opposite. She was financially very comfortable. She had the support of her family. She was bright and articulate and had everything in place to leave.
Kashif Anwar (Image by Police Scotland)
“She had a plan but he didn’t allow her to carry it out in time. This goes to show that if this can happen to Fawziyah it can happen to absolutely anybody.”
Javed and Anwar got married in an Islamic ceremony on December 25, 2020. They had checked into a hotel in Edinburgh on August 31 and were supposed to return to Yorkshire on September 4, which would have been her 32nd birthday.
Anwar claimed that his wife slipped while they were taking a selfie but the jury at the trial were provided with several pieces of evidence which led to his imprisonment. Javed had also kept several recordings of her conversations with him which were handed over to West Yorkshire Police as proof of the abuse she was suffering.
If you are suffering abuse and are in immediate danger contact police on 999. If you are in danger, instead of speaking just dial ’55’ on your mobile when you’re prompted. You can also let the operator know you need help by tapping the phone or making a noise.
You can get in touch with Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234.
Email [email protected] or visit sdafmh.org.uk.
