A man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 20 years for murdering his pregnant wife by pushing her off a 50-foot cliff on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. Kashif Anwar, 29, from Pudsey, near Leeds, was found guilty of killing 31-year-old Fawziyah Javed, who was 17 weeks pregnant, during a holiday in September 2021.
As she lay dying, Ms Javed, a solicitor from Yorkshire, told a police officer that her husband had pushed her. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the couple had been on a mini-break and had visited Arthur's Seat to watch the sunset. Anwar claimed he lost his balance and fell into her, causing her to fall, but the jury rejected his defence.
Judge Lord Beckett described the crime as 'wicked' and noted that Anwar showed no remorse and made no attempt to save his wife. The court heard from Ms Javed's mother, Yasmin Javed, who said her daughter had been in a violent, coercive marriage and had planned to leave Anwar after the trip.
Witnesses at the scene, including a hillwalker and a police officer, testified that Ms Javed told them Anwar had pushed her after she tried to end the relationship. Anwar, a student optician, did not give evidence in court. He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years.
