A man stands on the brink of a life sentence after stabbing his wife in the head in an attack that a judge described as “so close to a full murder” it barely falls short.
Madia Bano, a 25-year-old mother of four, suffered a devastating injury on November 1 last year at their home on Villa Road, Lozells. The single stab wound left her in a coma, with parts of her brain irreversibly damaged. Medical experts fear she may develop Locked-in plus syndrome, a condition causing total paralysis and inability to communicate.
Her husband, Amir Khan, also 25, immediately called emergency services but falsely claimed she had fallen. However, forensic analysis dismissed this explanation, confirming the wound was consistent with a stabbing.
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Khan was found guilty of attempted murder after a trial. At Birmingham Crown Court on May 13, Judge Dean Kershaw postponed sentencing pending a probation assessment to determine if Khan poses a continuing risk to public safety.
“The severity of this offense is near indistinguishable from murder,” said Judge Kershaw. “I need to establish whether this defendant is dangerous. Lack of prior offenses does not exclude that possibility.”
The judge noted little information was available about Khan, who remained silent during police questioning and trial proceedings.
Should Khan receive an extended sentence, he would likely be in his late 40s or early 50s by the time of potential release, a period when his threat to the public might lessen. The sentencing hearing was adjourned until July 7.
Addressing Khan directly, Judge Kershaw urged cooperation: “I am not delaying this to cause distress, but to ensure the sentence is just. Your engagement with probation is critical—silence can speak volumes.”
Khan is a Pakistani national who reportedly entered the UK clandestinely in 2017. His asylum claim was rejected, though he was granted temporary leave to remain until March this year on family and private life grounds. He is currently considered an overstayer.