Syed Ahmad, 45, has been jailed for life for the murder of his wife Anam Rafay, 36, after she tried to leave their Wythenshawe home following an abusive marriage and a new relationship. Ahmad initially claimed self-defence but later pleaded guilty during his trial at Manchester Crown Court.
A history of abuse
Mrs Rafay and Ahmad married in 2005 in Karachi, Pakistan, in an arranged marriage between their families. She was 16 and forced to cook, clean, and wash laundry for the family, unable to eat until they had finished. Her father, Nadeem Khan, told the court that Ahmad promised she would continue her education but never kept that promise. Over the years, Mrs Rafay described Ahmad as controlling and coercive, saying he managed her money, followed her to work, and turned off the heating to save on bills. Colleagues at the school where she worked as a dinner lady testified that she often wore makeup to hide bruises and showed them finger marks on her wrists. One colleague, Gemma Mulvaney, said Mrs Rafay told her she could not leave because he would kill her.
The affair and divorce
In 2023, Mrs Rafay began messaging a man on TikTok who posted travel content. They met and developed a relationship. She told him about Ahmad's abuse and showed him scratches on her body. In September 2023, she contacted a divorce mediator and served papers on Ahmad. He asked for mediation, and she agreed to give him one more chance. The night before the killing, she told him she wanted a divorce, leading to a heated argument. Ahmad later said he had 'disturbed sleep' and flashbacks to an alleged comment from his father-in-law about 'smashing his head'.
The murder
On the morning of January 27, 2024, Ahmad attacked Mrs Rafay as she stood by the sink, stabbing her up to 40 times. He then told police 'self defence' and later claimed he could not remember the attack. In court, he said he had been paranoid and stressed. However, under cross-examination, prosecutor Bill Baker KC confronted him about his lies. Eventually, Ahmad asked to be rearraigned and pleaded guilty to murder. He was seen smirking after the killing and messaged family saying 'I have killed my wife.'
Sentencing
On Friday, July 31, Ahmad will be sentenced. He faces life in prison for the murder of Anam Rafay, who had desperately tried to escape his control.
