At least one of murder accused couple is innocent: court told

At least one of a husband and wife accused of killing their daughter must be innocent, a court heard today.
CourtCourt
Court

Concerns were raised that both Abdul and Aleksandra Wahab have been charged with the murder of five-year-old Nadia Zofia Kalinowska.

The little girl was discovered at the family’s home in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim in December last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Examinations confirmed she had sustained head and abdominal injuries which prosecutors have likened to forces exerted a in road traffic collision.

Evidence of multiple fractures at various stages of healing was also found.

Abdul Wahab, 32, and Aleksandra Wahab, 26, are currently in custody jointly charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and grievous bodily harm with intent to Nadia over a year-long period.

The husband and wife, originally from Pakistan and Poland respectively, emphatically deny all allegations against them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They claim Nadia sustained the fatal injuries when she fell down a flight of stairs at their Fernagh Drive address in the middle of the night.

At Belfast Magistrates’ Court today a solicitor for Abdul Wahab said senior counsel now instructed in the case has expressed “serious concerns”.

Danny McNamee submitted: “We have two people charged with the murder of the infant child.

“There doesn’t appear to be any indication from the police or anyone else that both these people were involved in this assault.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“His (senior counsel’s) concern is very simple: it must be blatantly obvious to all involved in this case that at least one of these people has to be innocent.”

Aleksandra Wahab’s barrister, Gavyn Cairns, revealed that she is now heavily pregnant.

Based on her condition, and indications that it could take up to 10 months to obtain a full post mortem report, renewed bail applications are anticipated.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall agreed to adjourn both defendants’ cases for two weeks