Smethwick murder accused lied about swapping shirts, court told

Ameen Thabet, 50, later backtracked on his statement and claimed he swapped shirts after Najeeba Al-Ariqy, 47, "sprinkled" holy water on him, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Thabet is accused of murdering Mrs Al-Ariqy at her home in Sutton Road, Aston, Birmingham, on March 23 last year, by choking her to death.

He was interviewed by West Midlands Police later that evening as a witness, before he was arrested on suspicion of her murder.

Thabet told police he had not changed clothing that day but CCTV showed him wearing a different shirt hours after visiting Ms Al-Ariqy's home, jurors heard.

The defendant visited her around lunch time and again on the evening, where he claimed to have found her collapsed on the floor during the second visit. At that point emergency services attended.

All the evidence has now been heard and Judge Melbourne Inman QC has been summing up the trial this week, ahead of jury deliberations starting.

The case so far:

• 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

In recapping evidence, Mr Inman said: "The defendant gave an account that he had not changed clothing since leaving Najeeba's address. He admitted in evidence that was a lie.

"The defence said Najeeba sprinkled Zamzam water on his shirt and said for good luck he had to dispose it in a river or canal."

In police interview, Thabet was told by officers CCTV showed him in a "change of clothes" at a different address, on the afternoon of March 23, said Mr Inman.

At first, Thabet denied this and then said he had the shirt on "back to front" before later making the claim about the Zamzam water.

The court heard that Thabet and Mrs Al-Ariqy secretly got married in December 2018.

Mr Inman said Mrs Al-Ariqy became unhappy with their marriage as it was "not fully open" and asked the defendant for a divorce, to which he agreed.

Jurors were told they got married again before Mrs Al-Ariqy asked for a second divorce in September 2019.

At the time of her death, when Thabet and Mrs Al-Ariqy were engaged, the defendant was married to another woman.

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

The trial continues.