Smethwick murder suspect denies having had toxic relationship with wife

Ameen Thabet, aged 50, says he and Najeeba Al-Ariqy, 47, had their "ups and downs" but described their relationship as "beautiful", Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Thabet, of West Park Road, Smethwick, is accused of killing Ms Al-Ariqy at her home in Sutton Road, Aston, Birmingham, on March 23 last year.

He took to the witness box where he answered questions from prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones QC.

Thabet said: "It was a beautiful relationship. We had a lot of ups and downs but there was a lot of respect there."

Asked if their relationships was toxic, he replied: "No."

Jurors were told that the couple's "relationship fell to bits" on March 11, around 12 days before her death.

The case so far:

• 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

However, the court also heard that Thabet made attempts "to win her back".

Citing evidence from a detective called DC Chapman, Mr Douglas-Jones said: "Let me summarise DC Chapman's characterisation [of your relationship] last year.

"She said you are trying to win Najeeba over. You nearly got Najeeba to marry you but she was concerned about you being unhappy.

"You nearly got her to agree to marry you by March."

Offered

In response, Thabet said: "This was in February, we are already agreed by then."

Mr Douglas-Jones continued: "On March 11, she ended the relationship. Is that right?"

The defendant replied: "Yes."

In the following days however, Thabet said he offered to buy Ms Al-Ariqy coffee. "I genuinely loved her," he said.

In an earlier court hearing, jurors were told that Thabet bought a wedding dress for Ms Al-Ariqy the day before she died.

The couple had previously married in 2019.

The court was also told Thabet was already married to another woman when he and Ms Al-Ariqy made wedding plans.

Mr Douglas-Jones asked him: "You are playing off your wife of 27 years against your mistress of nine to 10 years?" Thabet responded: "No."

He is accused of killing Ms Al-Ariqy by choking her to death, which he has denied.

His defence counsel, David Walbank QC, cited evidence from forensic pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar who said it would have taken "several minutes of strangulation" to kill Ms Al-Ariqy.

He asked his client: "Whoever killed her did not have a momentary loss of control. They held her in an arm lock for several minutes. Were you capable of doing such a thing to Najeeba?"

Thabet replied: "No."

Thabet has denied a charge of murder.

The trial continues.