Ameen Thabet: Jury deliberations begin in murder trial

Ameen Thabet, 50, is charged with murdering Najeeba Al-Ariqy, 47, at her home in Sutton Road, Aston, Birmingham, on March 23 last year.

Prosecutors claim Thabet, of West Park Road, Smethwick, choked her to death and staged a fake burglary to cover his tracks. He has denied her murder.

Jurors were sent out for deliberations on Wednesday morning, having heard evidence since the case was opened in early February.

This week the judge presiding over the trial, Melbourne Inman QC, recapped on evidence that jurors had earlier heard.

Coverage of the case:

• Smethwick murder accused lied about swapping shirts, court told

• Smethwick murder suspect denies having had toxic relationship with wife

• Murder suspect bought wife a wedding dress the day before her death, trial hears

• Smethwick murder suspect carried out CPR on wife, court hears

• Murder accused's wife died from pressure to the neck, jury is told

• Murder trial jurors shown more CCTV footage of defendant at address

• Jurors shown CCTV in murder trial

• Husband accused of wife's murder told officers he was a family friend

• Mother-of-three found dead at Birmingham home was 'unresponsive', trial hears

His defence told the court that the prosecution has relied on circumstantial evidence to prove that Thabet is guilty.

Thabet visited her home around lunchtime on March 23 and then again on the evening where he claimed to have found her collapsed.