Woman accused of killing daughter expecting third child, court told

A woman currently in custody charged with murdering her five-year-old daughter is due to give birth to her third child next month.

These details emerged on Wednesday in Belfast’s High Court, where her husband Abdul Wahab launched a bail application.

Both Abdul Wahab (32) and his 26-year old wife Aleksandra Wahab are currently in custody following the death of Mrs Wahab’s 5-year-old daughter.

Nadia Zofia Kalinowska died in her Fernagh Drive home in Newtownabbey on December 15 last year after she sustained a fractured skull and injuries to her brain and liver.

The Crown has made the case that as well as sustaining these injuries, the young girl also suffered historic injuries.

Both her mother — who is originally from Poland — and her Pakistani-born step-father have denied murder and claim the youngster fell down the stairs in the middle of the night. They also deny charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Abdul Wahab launched an application for bail, and after submissions were made by the defence and the Crown, Mr Justice Horner said he wanted to take time to consider all aspects and would give his ruling on Friday.

Prior to this, a prosecuting QC told Mr Justice Horner that the Crown was opposing Wahab’s release on grounds including a risk of flight, and rejected a defence suggestion that the case against Wahab was weak.

The bail application was made by defence barrister Patrick Lyttle QC, who branded concerns that Wahab would be able to flee to his native Pakistan without his passport and other travel documents as “like something from a Hollywood movie”.

Mr Lyttle said that having spent the past decade living in the UK and Ireland, Wahab was settled and had family ties here — including his three-year-old son.

Denying his client had harmed his step-daughter, Mr Lyttle said the Wahab family has been “torn asunder”, that their son is now in care and his wife who is also in custody is due to give birth next month.

Mr Lyttle spoke of the length of time the case will take to get to trial, raised the issue of outstanding medical reports and said that should these reports conclude the child did sustain the fatal injuries by falling down the stairs, this will have been a “monstrous injustice” for Mr and Mrs Wahab.

He continued: “It is simply not clear at the present time from the prosecution case as to whether or not it is being alleged that one or other of the defendants or both of them acting in concert are alleged to have committed this murder.”

Turning to his client’s background, My Lyttle said that prior to his arrest Wahab was working as a driver for Uber Eats and had been living legally in the greater Belfast area for over two years.

Mr Lyttle said the family were so settled that Nadia attended a local primary school, where teachers described her as a happy, well-cared for child.

He said that after meeting Mr and Mrs Wahab several times, there were no concerns raised by teachers.

Addressing Crown concerns that Wahab would flee if released as “fanciful”, Mr Lyttle said he was not part of a criminal gang who could obtain false passport — but a man without a criminal record who would stay in Northern Ireland for his family.

Urging Mr Justice Horner to grant Wahab bail, Mr Lyttle said his client is “languishing in prison” where he may remain for years due to the delay in court proceedings as a result of Covid-19.

Crown barrister David McDowell QC spoke of the gravity of the charge and the severity of the injuries the youngster sustained.

He raised the level of family care regarding Nadia and said her teeth were in an “appalling state”, there was no record of her having visited a doctor or dentist in Northern Ireland and there were no female toys present in the house where she died. Mr Mcdowell also spoke of historic injuries including fractures to her ribs which he said were relevant to the Crown’s case.

Opposing Wahab’s release, Mr Mcdowell said: “He is charged with the murder of a five-yearold child and he has told police that he wanted to move the family to Pakistan.”

Saying that before moving to greater Belfast Wahab had a “transient lifestyle” in the UK and Ireland, Mr Mcdowell said that in the days before the incident Wahab had searched online for flights to Pakistan and information on how to transport cargo.

Mr Justice Horner said he wanted time to consider the application and said he would give his ruling on Friday.