Pregnant mother ‘shot dead with a crossbow by her ex’ – now her baby f ights for life
A BABY was fighting for his life last night after being delivered by emergency caesarean when his pregnant mother was killed with a crossbow.
Sana Muhammad, 35, was shot dead in front of her five children as she did the washing up at the family home.
Her husband Imtiaz said he found the suspected killer lying in wait in their garden shed, armed with a crossbow, as he went to put away some boxes.
Mr Muhammad shouted ‘run, run, run’ to his family as the assailant chased him into the kitchen of the house in Ilford, East London, at 7.30am on Monday.
But Mrs Muhammad, who was eight months pregnant, died three hours later after receiving emergency surgery for a crossbow bolt to the chest.
Doctors delivered her baby, who has been named Ibrahim, but he remains in intensive care. Mr Muhammad, 42, who is staying in a hotel with his children, described yesterday how he desperately tried to warn his wife of the danger.
‘I went to put a cardboard box in the shed. He was there with the crossbow loaded,’ he said. ‘He stared at me, he was
‘They operated with the arrow still in’
going to shoot so I ran into the house.
‘My wife was doing the washing up, I was shouting, “run, run, run”. He shot her. I can’t help thinking she took my arrow.
‘Maybe it should have hit me. The kids were all there, it was horrific. The arrow went up into her heart but did not touch the unborn baby. The baby was due in four weeks. They operated with the arrow still in because it would have been too dangerous to take out.’
Police are investigating whether the killer, allegedly dressed head to toe in black clothing and armed with two large black crossbows, had lain in wait all night. The victim bought the £500,000 terraced property in 2011 with her then-husband, 50-year-old former nurse Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo.
Scotland Yard confirmed that Unmathallegadoo had been charged with murder. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey tomorrow. Neighbours said the couple, both originally from Mauritius, had three children, now aged 12, 14 and 18 together, before she left him for Mr Muhammad.
Mrs Muhammad was a Hindu but converted to Islam to marry the successful Pakistani builder, who she met while he renovated her home. She changed her name from Devi Unmathallegadoo and the couple went on to have two children, aged two and five.
Public documents suggest Mrs Muhammad, known by her middle name Nishta, had been locked in a legal battle with her ex-husband over access to their children.
The couple racked up a substantial legal bill and cannot sell the Ilford property or their former home in Upton Park, East London, without notifying authorities. Mr Muhammad said he believed the fatal crossbow bolt was meant for him. ‘She was a wonderful mother and wife. We were together seven years. I am heartbroken, we were inseparable,’ he added.
Neighbours described how they ran into the street as Mr Muhammad screamed out in the aftermath of the attack.
One said: ‘He was knocking the doors, on the neighbour’s as well, he’s asking for help, screaming for help.’ The suspected attacker was filmed being led into a police van in handcuffs. He is believed to have attempted to explain his actions to neighbours.
As forensic teams combed the shooting scene, one resident said officers were seen holding a 30cmlong crossbow arrow.
The victim’s close friend of 15 years, Monika Terki, 43, burst into tears as she described the mother as ‘utterly devoted to her children’, adding: ‘I don’t know what to say, it’s all so overwhelming.’
Mrs Muhammad is now the 120th Londoner to suffer a violent death this year. Another death in South London brought the total to 121.
Last year there were 118 killings in the capital.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Holmes, of the Metropolitan Police, appealed for anyone with information about the ‘tragic incident’ to contact his officers.