Cops bungled welfare checks of Ambreen Sheikh

Police bungled welfare checks on Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, after letting her abuser be current throughout them, it was revealed right this moment. 

Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, who was delivered to the UK from Pakistan in 2014 for an organized marriage, was doused with chemical substances, force-fed capsules and left in a vegetative state by her husband’s household as a result of they had been ‘sad together with her house responsibilities.’

Ms Sheikh was simply 30-years-old when she was given the anti-diabetes drug glimepiride, which induced catastrophic mind harm. She was additionally doused in a caustic substance within the days main as much as her hospital admission on August 1, 2015. 

The nervous household of Ms Sheikh contacted police with considerations in July that yr.

Upon finishing up a welfare test, two West Yorkshire Police officers reported that she was match and nicely.

But the choose presiding over the case right this moment, Mrs Justice Lambert, stated she connected ‘little weight to that evaluation’ as a result of Ms Sheikh spoke little English and her father-in-law was current in the course of the go to.

It was initially thought Ms Sheikh, now 39, would die – however when her ventilator was turned off in hospital, she started to breathe for herself.

The court docket heard that she has been left unaware of herself or her atmosphere, with out motor response or response to ache, and can by no means recuperate. 

Prosecutors stated she solely survives by being fed via a tube and can ultimately die as a consequence of what occurred to her, though this will likely not occur for a few years.

Judge Lambert stated she hardly ever left the home and by no means by herself. She had no impartial revenue, no associates within the UK and will communicate solely somewhat English. 

The choose stated: ‘It is tough to think about a extra severe harm, wanting loss of life.’

On Wednesday, Ms Sheikh’s husband, Asgar Sheikh, 31, was jailed for seven years and 9 months alongside along with his father, Khalid Sheikh, 55, and his mom, Shabnam Sheikh, 52. Asgar Sheikh’s brother, Sakalayne Sheikh, 25, was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 2 years, and his sister, Shagufa Sheikh, 29, was given an 18-month sentence, additionally suspended for 2 years.

None of the household gave proof in court docket and the choose stated she couldn’t say for positive when the abuse started.

The trial heard proof that, quickly after Ms Sheikh arrived within the UK, the household weren’t comfortable together with her house responsibilities and chores, and Khalid Sheikh had recommended she ought to be despatched again to Pakistan.

Concerns had been raised by members of the prolonged household and two law enforcement officials carried out a welfare test in July however reported Ms Sheikh as being match and nicely.

The choose stated she connected ‘little weight to that evaluation’ as a result of Ms Sheikh spoke little English and her father-in-law was current in the course of the go to.

She stated she didn’t know who administered the corrosive substance, which left extreme burns on Ms Sheikh’s decrease again, backside and proper ear, and will need to have left her in appreciable and lasting ache.

And she stated she didn’t know who ‘tricked or compelled’ her to take the glimpiride, which was prescribed to Shabnam Sheikh and is extraordinarily harmful to non-diabetics, even in small doses.

The choose determined there was a two to three-day delay between Ms Sheikh falling unconscious and the household calling an ambulance, throughout which she grew to become extremely dehydrated and inhaled fluids which can have exacerbated her mind harm.

Even when the household known as 999, they lied about what had occurred to her, the choose stated.

‘You would all have been conscious of her ache and misery,’ she stated.

‘It’s simply not reasonable to conclude that you simply didn’t all know of Ambreen’s predicament and her determined want for emergency medical care.

‘You all additionally knew why she was in that situation.’

The court docket heard that Ms Sheikh is now being taken care of in a palliative care setting and won’t recuperate however might dwell for many years extra.

She was in good well being earlier than her collapse and there’s some proof that she was a trainer in Pakistan, the court docket heard.

One witness stated she was ‘clever, vivid, bold and happy-go-lucky’ earlier than she moved to the UK, and the choose stated she was somebody who would ‘mild up a room’.

The choose stated Ms Sheikh’s father is now useless and her mom is ill in Pakistan.

She has seven siblings and considered one of her brothers has been over to go to her.

Asgar, Khalid, Shabnam and Shagufa Sheikh had been all discovered responsible after a trial of permitting a weak grownup to undergo bodily hurt after a trial final yr.

The offence carried a most sentence of ten years in jail on the time of the offence however this has since been elevated by Parliament to 14 years.

Asgar, Shabnam and Shagufa Sheikh had been additionally discovered responsible of doing an act meaning to pervert the course of justice.

All 5 defendants had been discovered responsible of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Previously, neighbours of the Sheikh household informed the court docket Ambreen was so remoted they did not know she was there.

Diana Roach, their subsequent door neighbour for 35 years, stated ‘once in a while’ Khalid’s (Ambreen’s father-in-law) older brother and his kids would go to them.

Asked if she ever noticed anybody else go there, she stated: ‘No, I imply I might see supply or postmen and what not however visiting, no.’

From time to time Shagufa, ‘the daughter’, can be seen together with her mom Shabnam coming house from the outlets or serving to with work on the home.

Then in August 2015 police broke into the property with a battering ram after Ambreen was admitted to hospital in an unconscious state.

Police spoke to neighbours and information of what was occurring behind closed doorways got here as a shock.

‘I used to be shocked as a result of I simply did not realise that there was one other individual dwelling in the home that we weren’t conscious of,’ stated Ms Roach.

She stated she did not know Asgar had received married and his spouse had been dwelling on the tackle since November.

Another neighbour informed MailOnline that she believed the boys within the Sheikh household labored as builders however knew little about them.

‘They do not discuss to us they usually do not having something to do with anybody round right here actually,’ she stated.

‘We had no thought this lady was even in the home. When we noticed it on the information it was a giant shock.’

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller of West Yorkshire Police, stated: ‘West Yorkshire Police has labored onerous in recent times to enhance its safeguarding of weak victims in home settings, together with these from our minority communities.

‘The pressure has invested closely in consciousness coaching for law enforcement officials and workers to higher spot the indicators of such offending and supply enhanced sufferer help and the standard of investigations.

‘This has included coaching supplied by specialist companions resembling Karma Nirvana to boost consciousness of honour-based abuse and compelled marriage.

‘We take a victim-led method to cope with these difficult points which respects the views of victims and witnesses, and supplies the mandatory help, confidentiality and safety from hurt they might want.

‘Specialist officers positioned within the Force’s district Safeguarding Units or Domestic Abuse Teams are chargeable for guaranteeing the security of those that report considerations about themselves immediately or who’re in any other case delivered to our consideration as being potential victims, guaranteeing that each one crimes are totally investigated and prosecuted wherever potential.’