The victim, Fawziyah Javed, had confided in her mother that she was in a violent and coercive marriage, and had expressed her desire to leave her husband after a trip to Edinburgh.
During the trial, Ms Javed’s mother gave evidence that her daughter had spoken to her about her husband’s abusive behaviour, and had planned to leave him after their Edinburgh trip. However, Anwar claimed that his wife had slipped and fallen while taking a selfie on a rocky outcrop at Arthur’s Seat.
The court rejected his defence and found him guilty of killing Ms Javed, who was 17 weeks pregnant, and causing the death of her unborn child.
The judge who sentenced Anwar to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years stated that Ms Javed was entitled to his protection and that Anwar had committed a “wicked crime. He also noted that Anwar had shown no remorse and made no attempt to save his wife, further illustrating the callousness of his actions.
