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Zainulabedin ZAIDI
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics:
Parricide
- Jealous rage
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders:
March 17,
2000
Date of arrest:
Next day
Date of birth: 1966
Victims profile: His
former wife Shazie, 27, and her two children
Method of murder: Stabbing
with knife
Location: Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Status:
Sentenced to three life sentences
2000
On the 17th of March, 2000, Shazia, Saba
and Zeshan Zaidi were murdered at their home in Bracknell, Berkshire,
during the Muslim religious festival of Eid.
Shazia and her children were stabbed and slashed to
death by Shazia’s former husband, Zainulabedin Zaidi.
The former banker, who was unemployed when he killed
his family, was extremely possessive and would not allow his wife to
leave the house by herself. This had led to their break-up in 1997.
Shazia remarried in 1999 but she did not tell her
first husband, who had weekend access to their children. It was during
one of these arranged visits that he massacred his former wife and
children.
Adrian Redgrave QC, prosecuting, told the court that:
"He stabbed her in the face, the chest and several
times in the neck… The two children saw that happening".
Whilst he was stabbing their mother, the children ran
upstairs to the main bedroom, where six-year-old Zeshan managed to call
999. The call was taped and the 109-second call was played to the jury,
thus:
Operator: "Emergency services"
Zeshan: "Hello, can I get that. Can I have the police
please
Operator: The police, thank you.
Zeshan: Oh (noisy breathing and faint screaming heard
in background). Can I? Can I?
Operator: If you can bear with me… if you stay on the
line, I’m connecting you now.
Controller: Wants the police. Not ringing. (Noisy
breathing)
Operator: Yeah, if you can stay on the line I will be
as quick as I can.
Zeshan: Quickly, because my dad, erm, is getting my mum
and stabbing and killing her.
Operator: Yeah, I’ll be as quick as I can for you now.
(Screaming; bleeping tones; scream)
Operator: Hello, you’re through to the emergency
services. Is anyone there?
Zeshan: Don’t kill me, Daddy.
At this point the line went dead.
Zaidi had bolted the front door to prevent the children
escaping and came upstairs after them.
Their bodies were found lying a few feet from each
other.
After his evening's work was done, Zaidi went to an
Indian takeaway and casually bought himself a curry.
QC Redgrave said:
"In cold blood, he stabbed those two children…
The conclusion is inescapable - the child that was
last to die must have witnessed not only the killing of their mother,
but also the other child. Each of those children died from stab wounds
in their neck and to the throat".
Zaidi was arrested the day after the killings
following a nationwide appeal by police.
Although his former wife's blood wasfound splattered
on his shoes and watch, Zaidi resolutely denied his involvement in the
death of his family, indeed, Zaidi tried to shift the blame onto Saeed
Dogar, his ex-wife’s new husband. The discovery of a pair of protective
gloves, which Zaidi had worn throughout the killing spree, convinced the
jury, not only of his guilt but also that his actions were premeditated.
Zaidi was sentenced to three life sentences at
Reading Crown Court.
In September, 2005, Mr Justice Moses stated that Zaid
would have to serve 20 years in prison before parole was considered.
Family killer must serve 20 years
BBC News
Thursday, 29 September
2005
A jealous husband jailed for life for killing his
former wife and two children will have to serve at least 20 years, a
High Court judge has ruled.
Zainulabedin Zaidi, 39, stabbed to
death Shazia, 27, and then Saba, seven, and son Zeeshan, six, at home in
Bracknell, Berkshire, in 2000.
He was convicted of three counts of
murder at Reading Crown Court in 2000.
At the High Court on Thursday, Mr
Justice Moses told him he must serve 20 years before parole is
considered.
After the 20 years are up, Zaidi will
be released if the parole board considers him no danger to the public.
During Zaidi's trial in Autumn 2000,
the jury heard a recording of a 999 call in which one of the children
pleads "Don't kill me Daddy".
The child also told the operator: "My Dad is getting
my Mum and stabbing and killing me."
Zaidi was on a contact visit when he murdered his
family in a jealous rage, the court heard.
His arranged Muslim marriage to Shazia had
irretrievably broken down and she had remarried in secret.
Denied responsibility
Following the brutal murders, Zaidi bought himself a
takeaway curry and then sought refuge with an acquaintance in High
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
He was arrested the following day after nationwide
appeal by police.
Forensic evidence linked Zaidi to the crime with his
former wife's blood being found splattered on his shoes and watch.
Zaidi had refused to give evidence during the trial.
He was found guilty of all three murders.
Sentencing Zaidi to three life sentences, Mr Justice
Moises said the former banker had shown little remorse and had persisted
in denying responsibility for the attack.
Father jailed for
triple murder
BBC News
Wednesday, 1 November, 2000
A jealous husband who killed his ex-wife and two
children in a frenzied knife attack, has been given three life sentences.
Former banker Zainulabedin Zaidi, 34, stabbed to
death Shazia, 27, in front of their daughter Saba, seven, and son
Zeeshan, six, before slitting both their throats at their home in
Bracknell, Berkshire, on 17 March this year.
Zaidi, who denied the killings, was convicted of
three counts of murder at Reading Crown court on Wednesday after an
eight day trial.
The jury of eight men and four women had heard a
recording of a desperate 999 call during which one of the children is
heard pleading: "Don't kill me Daddy".
The child also tells the operator: "My Dad is getting
my Mum and stabbing and killing me."
'Cold blooded murder'
Zaidi was on a contact visit when he murdered his
family in a jealous rage, the court heard.
His arranged Muslim marriage to Shazia had
irretrievably broken down and she had remarried in secret.
Adrian Redgrave, prosecuting, said Zaidi murdered his
former wife and children in cold blood.
"She did her best to defend herself, as witness deep
cuts to both of her hands and blood spattered about the living room,"
said Mr Redgrave.
"The conclusion is inescapable - the child that was
last to die must have witnessed not only the killing of their mother but
also the other child."
Following the brutal murders, Zaidi bought himself a
takeaway curry and then sought refuge with an acquaintance in High
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Denial
He was arrested the following day after nationwide
appeal by police.
Forensic evidence linked Zaidi to the crime with his
former wife's blood being found splattered on his shoes and watch.
Zaidi refused to give evidence during the trial and
had maintained a wall of silence during interviews with detectives.
The only sentence he uttered to investigating
officers throughout the proceedings was: "I did not murder my wife and
two children."
The jury took two and a half hours to find him guilty
of all three murders.
After the verdict Shazia's family issued a statement
saying: "We are relieved that justice has been served, however this
doesn't ease our grief of losing our three cherished loved ones.
"The only comfort we have is that they are happy
together in heaven, in peace, and finally free from the misery and
torment he brought to their lives."
'Diabolical'
Sentencing Zaidi to three life sentences, Mr Justice
Moises said the former banker had shown little remorse and had persisted
in denying responsibility for the attack.
The judge paid tribute to relatives of the victims
saying: "I admire the restraint and command of emotion you have all
shown throughout this case."
Detective Superintendent Trevor Davies, of Thames
Valley Police, condemned Zaidi for putting the witnesses through the
ordeal of testifying.
"Without doubt this was one of the most appalling
sights I have ever seen.
"For him to deny it with the evidence so
overwhelmingly compelling is diabolical.
"The jury having to listen to that tape and the
family members having to listen to that tape of Saba asking the police
for help and Zeeshan pleading for his own life was dreadful."
Children 'killed as they rang 999'
BBC News
October 22, 2000
A jealous husband massacred his estranged wife and
their two children in a frenzied knife attack, a court has heard.
Zainulabedin Zaidi was on a contact visit when he
repeatedly stabbed Shazia, in front of their daughter Saba, seven, and
son Zeeshan, six, a jury at Reading Crown Court was told.
Adrian Redgrave, prosecuting, said one of the children
rang 999 and could be heard pleading: "Don't kill me Daddy,"
before he was stabbed.
Mr Zaidi, 34, of Goodman Park, Slough, Berkshire,
denies three charges of murder.
Mr Redgrave said Mr Zaidi stabbed his 27-year-old wife
in the face, the chest and several times in the neck. The couple, who
had an arranged marriage, were in the process of a divorce.
"She did her best to defend herself, as witness
deep cuts to both of her hands and blood spattered about the living room,"
said Mr Redgrave.
Mr Zaidi, who was wearing gloves, had gone to his
wife's home in Bracknell, Berks to collect the children for a visit, the
jury heard.
The children went upstairs to the main bedroom, where
one of them called 999 and told the operator: "My dad is getting my
mum and stabbing and killing her", said Mr Redgrave.
Gasping sounds
Mr Zaidi bolted the front door to prevent them
escaping and ran upstaris after them, the court heard.
Screams and gasping sounds were heard from one of the
children during the one-minute call.
Mr Redgrave continued: "Both died from deep stab
wounds to the neck."
Their bodies were found lying a few feet from each
other.
'Blood-soaked carpet'
The living room carpet was soaked with blood and the
banisters were spattered.
After the killings, Mr Zaidi dumped the knife in a
bowl under the sink and later destroyed his blood-spattered clothes, Mr
Redgrave said.
Mrs Zaidi, who worked as a social worker at Wexham
Park Hospital in Slough, left her "jealous" husband three
years ago after an unhappy nine-year marriage.
She moved to Bracknell with her children and married
new boyfriend Saeed Dogar in secret.
On the day of the massacre she had been planning an
evening meal to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Adha with Mr
Dogar and the children.
The jury was told Mr Zaidi later claimed Mr Dogar was
responsible for the massacre.
But Mr Redgrave said it was "physically
impossible" for him to have been at the house at the time of the
killing.
Mr Dogar was at a butcher's shop in Chalvey, Slough,
buying meat for the meal when the murders happened.
He paid for the meal by credit card at 3.45pm and
arrived at Mrs Zaidi's home to find the aftermath of the tragedy.
The trial continues.
Husband charged with triple murder
BBC News
March 22, 2000
A man has been charged with murdering his ex-wife and
two young children after they were found stabbed to death.
Zainulabedin Zaidi, 34, is charged with killing his
ex-wife Shazia Zaidi, his daughter Saba, seven, and six-year-old son
Zeeshan at their home in Bracknell, Berkshire, on Friday afternoon.
Zaidi, 34, of Slough, is set to appear before Slough
magistrates on Tuesday morning charged with three counts of murder.
He was arrested in a house in High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, on Saturday by officers investigating the deaths.
Mrs Zaidi, who was divorced, had moved to Bracknell
with her children to live near her parents.
She worked as a social worker at Wexham Park Hospital
in Slough.
Neighbours on the estate where the family lived have
laid flowers at the family's house.
They have expressed their deep shock and sadness at
the deaths.
Victims
Shazia was killed in front of her children before he
slit their throat.
Shazia Zaidi worked
as a social worker.
Saba Zaidi (right) and her little
brother Zeeshan.
