Life for murder of 21-year-old pregnant woman

A husband and three members of his family have been jailed for life for murdering his pregnant wife at her Birmingham home in an apparent attempt to rid her of an evil spirit.

Mohammed Tauseef Mumtaz, 25, had to be carried out of the dock by his father after being jailed for a minimum of 13 years for the murder of Naila Mumtaz, who was smothered in 2009.

The killer's brother-in-law, Hammad Hassan, was also imprisoned for at least 13 years, while his mother and father, Salma Aslam and Zia Ul-Haq, were both given minimum terms of 15 years by a judge at Birmingham Crown Court.

The 12 week trial heard evidence that Naila was smothered during attempts to render her unconscious as family members attempted to drive out a harmful "jinn" spirit. Dr Halla Diyab is an expert on Muslim beliefs and practices and says that the community feels "ashamed" of an act which has no link to true Islamic beliefs.