Abdul Wahab, who murdered his stepdaughter, breaks down in court, claims she was his 'best friend'

A man who admitted murdering his five-year-old stepdaughter has been denied permission to change his legal team and delay sentencing in the case.

A sentencing hearing at Belfast Crown Court heard that Abdul Wahab, 35, now wishes to change his legal representation for a third time.

Nadia Zofia Kalinowska, five, died after she was found with multiple injuries at her family home at Fernagh Drive in Newtownabbey in December 2019.

During Thursday's hearing her step father said described her as his "best friend" and his life was "full of happiness" with her.

Nadia's mother Aleksandra Wahab, 29, and stepfather Abdul Wahab, both from Fernagh Drive, were both originally charged with murder.

Earlier this year, Mr Wahab pleaded guilty to the murder of Nadia as well as two charges of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mrs Wahab admitted the charges of allowing the death of a child and allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm.

Prosecution barrister Liam McCollum opened the sentencing hearing by describing the extent of Nadia's catalogue of injuries sustained over several months.

At the time of her death it was found that Nadia had fractured and re-fractured several ribs, sustained multiple fractures to her collarbone, skull fractures, as well as serious abdominal injuries.

Mr McCollum said as a result of Nadia's injuries "moving, breathing and laughing would cause considerable pain and such injuries would be obvious" to an alert and caring parent.

At the time of their initial arrests, both mother and step father claimed Nadia's death was accidental.

In Thursday's hearing, a defence barrister raised "evidence of habitual falls" as part of an argument that Mrs Wahab was unaware of the abuse her daughter was experiencing at the hands of Mr Wahab.

But Mr McCollum said that Mrs Wahab "must have actually known".

He added: "When people suffer an accident such as breaking collarbones, particularly children, the parents know about it, the parents do something about it."

He further stated the fact that Nadia went to school wearing long dresses and a head covering, as well as experiencing long absences from school, was evidence that her mother and stepfather were attempting to hide her extensive injuries from teachers.

"Only people who knew Nadia was being injured could have disguised her injuries," Mr McCollum told the court.

Mr Wahab, who had been seated in the dock with his head down, was then given the opportunity to address Judge Justice O'Hara.

He asked the judge for four weeks to find a new legal team, with both prosecution and defence barristers referring to the fact that he now wishes to change his guilty plea of murder.

He told the court he wanted to "speak for Nadia".

He said: "My life was full of happiness with her, we were like two best friends. She was always smiling, she was always laughing, she was the best child."

Mr Wahab appeared to cry as he said: "Since I have lost her I lost a piece of me, I just don't feel the same, I really loved her.

"She always loved me, she always called me papa, my dear papa."

Then, in a reference to his original claim that Nadia's death was a result of her being an "accident-prone" child, he said: "I just try and stop her, what she was doing to herself, I was very worried about her."

Mr Justice O'Hara denied the request for a new legal team and a delay in sentencing.

"I'm not going to allow that," he said.

He added: "You dispensed with your first legal team at public expense, dispensed with a second legal team, I will not continue to delay."

Justice O'Hara stated that Mr Wahab will be sentenced in accordance with his guilty plea and can then appeal.

The defence asked the judge to deal "leniently" in relation to Mrs Wahab and made no specific claim in relation to Mr Wahab, who has been sentenced to life but is still to receive a set minimum period before he can be released.

Mr and Mrs Wahab will be sentenced on June 21.

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