Smethwick murder suspect bought wife a wedding dress the day before her death, trial hears

Ameen Thabet, 50, from Smethwick, purchased the item off an online Muslim clothing website on March 22 last year, said his defence counsel David Walbank QC.

The following day, Thabet allegedly choked to death Najeeba Al-Ariqy, 47, at her home in Sutton Road, Aston, Birmingham.

Before her death, the couple were planning a wedding ceremony and a two-week honeymoon to Turkey afterwards, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Thabet took to the witness stand where he answered questions from Mr Walbank about his relationship with Ms Al-Ariqy.

Mr Walbank asked: "On March 22, you made a purchase from the online Muslim shopping website called Modanisa?"

The defendant replied: "It was the purchase of the dress that she chose."

Jurors were told that the couple planned to marry on April 4, have a party on April 10 and also a two-week honeymoon in Turkey.

Text messages between the couple were read out where they called one another "fiancée" and said they "loved each other". They had previously married in 2019.

The case so far:

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

• Smethwick 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

The court heard Thabet had a problem with his shoulder and visited City Hospital, in Birmingham, for a check-up two days before her death.

Addressing his client, Mr Walbank said: "You know the prosecution's case is you got her in an arm lock and throttled her. Were you capable of doing that?"

He replied: "Not at all."

He also denied being told by Ms Al-Ariqy on the morning before she died that she would marry another man from Bahrain.

Asked if Ms Al-Ariqy had told him anything that made him want to murder her that day, during a 45 minute telephone call on the morning of March 23 last year, Thabet replied: "No."

He said he visited her home around lunchtime, hours before she was found unresponsive on the floor and attended to by the emergency services.

During that earlier visit, he denied claims by the prosecution that he staged text messages sent between his phone and Ms Al-Ariqy's phone.

Thabet, of West Park Road, Smethwick, denies murder.

The trial at Birmingham Crown Court continues.