Gambling addict jailed for stabbing wife 60 times after losing bet

 [Photo: Shutterstock]

A gambling addict has been found guilty of hacking his wife to death while in a rage over a losing bet.

Vicious Jalal Uddin, 47, slashed and chopped at 31-year-old Asma Begum's head, face, neck and back at least 58 times at their flat in Canning Town, East London.

She had previously told police that he beat her after they argued about money, and said chef Uddin had a "gambling habit".

In November 2016 Mrs Begum told a housing officer that Uddin 'hit her when she refused to give him money', the Old Bailey heard.

Uddin, who is Bangladeshi, denied murder but was convicted after the jury deliberated for just over three hours.

He had admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter.

 Jalal Uddin has been found guilty of murdering his wife at their home (Image: Universal News And Sport (Europe))

The Recorder of London, Judge Nicholas Hilliard adjourned sentence until tomorrow at 2pm.

Prosecutor Danny Robinson QC said Uddin left his wife with little to pay the bills and feed and clothe the family.

'She said that she often ended up giving him money for his gambling to stop him hitting her,' Mr Robinson added.

'As you will hear, arguments between them caused by his gambling habit were not unusual.

'Mr Uddin was known to the employees of William Hill bookmakers in east London as the 'Angry Indian' because he would often hit the gaming machines when he was losing.'

Jurors heard an employee once watched him squander 'well over Sh1,286,250 (£1,000)' in a single session while financial inquiries following his wife's death revealed he had defaulted on a Sh2,058,000 (£16,000) loan taken out in September 2016.

The day before the killing, Mrs Begum sent Uddin to take Sh25,725 (£200) out of her account to foot the family's food and expenses.

 Asma Begum had previously told police her husband beat her (Image: Universal News And Sport (Europe))

After withdrawing the cash Uddin 'went straight next door to the betting shop', the court heard.

Although William Hill's records did not show whether Uddin won or lost money during his first half an hour inside, they did show that at one point he used his own card to load Sh5,145 (£40) worth of credit onto a roulette machine which he'd lost 'within 10 minutes'.

'He returned home that day with about Sh2,572 (£20) worth of shopping and no money, and perhaps unsurprisingly an argument between Mr Uddin and his wife ensued,' Mr Robinson said.

She called her nephew later that day in tears to tell him Uddin 'had lost Sh25,725 (£200) gambling' and had hit her.

The next day Mrs Begum's brother got a call from Uddin's brother in Bangladesh urging him to check on the couple because they were 'fighting and screaming at each other'.

Her nephew, who was also worried by similar calls, went to the flat where he found Mrs Begum lying dead on the kitchen floor.

'There were so many cuts to her face that an experienced pathologist who examined her body was unable to count them all,' Mr Robinson said.

'Her hands were badly cut and her left hand was almost amputated at the wrist.

'She was cut, stabbed, slashed or chopped at with the knife at least 58 times.

 Uddin is set to be sentenced on Thursday (Image: PA)

'The pathologist described the level of force used to inflict the injuries as 'extreme'.

'Such was the ferocity of the attack that a piece of the knife blade broke off in her face.'

Giving evidence Uddin claimed he disarmed his wife after she came at him.

He said he was wounded in the hand and the leg but grabbed the blade from his wife as they struggled on the floor.

'At that point I snatched the knife. When I saw the blood, I lost it. I thought she was going to kill me.

'I tried to save myself and struck her back with the knife.

'My head was not working at that time. I was not in this world at that time.'

Uddin, of City Island Way, Canning Town, denied but was convicted of murder.

He will be sentenced tomorrow.