Man found guilty of murdering his wife with whom divorce proceedings were underway
Yasmin Begum (Image by Metropolitan Police)
A man who attacked and killed his wife in her own home in Bethnal Green has been found guilty of her murder.
On Wednesday, 17 May, a jury at the Old Bailey were unanimous in their decision to find Quyum Miah, 41, of High Street, Homerton guilty of the murder of 40-year-old Yasmin Begum.
Miah had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to theft and two counts of fraud.
He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at the same court on Friday, 9 June.
Speaking on behalf of Yasmin’s family, her brother, Atik Zaman, said: “Firstly we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the detectives who worked so tirelessly to collect the evidence that caught Yasmin’s killer. Without their efforts, he may have gone on to put another family though this nightmare.
“Today an evil creature was found guilty of murder, fraud and burglary. A creature that should never be allowed to walk the streets again. He choose to murder a daughter, a mother, a sister for no reason other than financial gain.
“He values life at £800 as that it what he stole. He broke into our sister’s home and brutally murdered her then robbed her. We hope that he gets reminded every day of his measly existence, how evil he is, and what awaits him in the next life.
“We ask that our privacy be respected as we try to pick up the pieces and go on with our lives without Yasmin.”
Yasmin was found collapsed inside her address in Globe Road, E2 shortly after 4pm on 24 March, 2022 after concerned school staff attended her home when she failed to collect her children from school.
Yasmin had been stabbed several times and items, including her bank card and jewellery she was wearing, had been taken.
Miah was married to Yasmin but the pair had been separated for about a year, and divorce proceedings were under way. Attention quickly fell on him, and detectives swiftly began to piece together his movements. Forensic analysis of CCTV, together with dynamic interventions to secure evidence ensured a compelling case was compiled against Miah.
On the morning of the murder, CCTV captured Miah leaving his address in Homerton at around 9.55am, as he made his way to Yasmin’s home. He was seen to be carrying a rucksack and a green and yellow bag for life. Miah arrived in Globe Road at around 10.30am and a neighbour recalls seeing a man fitting his description loitering in the vicinity of Yasmin’s address.
Quyum Miah (Image by Metropolitan Police)
Yasmin was going about her daily business, unaware that Miah was waiting close to her home. She visited a neighbour at 2pm and left around half-an-hour later, saying she was going to the dentist after picking her children up from school. At 2.36pm, she briefly spoke on the phone to a friend – the friend later recalled it sound as if Yasmin was in her house and nothing sounded out of the ordinary.
Miah then entered Yasmin’s flat and unleashed a savage attack on her. He stole her bank card and items of jewellery before fleeing the address, locking the door from the outside as he left.
He was next spotted on CCTV at 2.57pm heading north away from Yasmin’s address; he was seen carrying the green and yellow bag for life which appeared full. Miah dumped this bag in a rubbish bin; when officers recovered this they found clothing stained with Yasmin’s blood inside.
In the hours after the murder Miah proceeded to use Yasmin’s bank card to withdraw £800 in cash; two days later he also pawned two items of her jewellery for around £200.
By this time, detectives had found documentation inside Yasmin’s address confirming divorce proceedings were under way and Miah was arrested at an address in Plaistow on 27 March, 2022.
On searching his address in Homerton, officers found a trainer with traces of Yasmin’s blood on it; they also found an item that had been stolen from inside her address.
Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, led the investigation. He said: “Quyum Miah is a violent coward who ambushed Yasmin in her own home and brutally attacked her – she did not stand a chance. Whether Miah was motivated by jealousy due to the impending divorce, or greed due to his callous actions in withdrawing cash and pawning jewellery immediately after the murder, remains unclear as he did not provide any straight answers during his police interviews.
“Instead he refused to own up to his actions, continually lying and then changing his story when concrete evidence disproved his version of events.
“Yasmin was a young mother, who was about to embark on a new chapter of her life away from Miah. However, she was denied that opportunity in the most violent of circumstances.
“Miah has rightfully been found guilty of murder and will now fact the consequences of his actions. I hope his conviction provides some small solace to Yasmin’s family and those who knew her.”
