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Ayesha Ali death: Accused's evil spirit belief 'exploited' | Ayesha Ali death: Accused's evil spirit belief 'exploited' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A mother accused of murdering her eight-year-old daughter has told a jury she believed her lesbian lover exploited her belief in "evil spirits". | A mother accused of murdering her eight-year-old daughter has told a jury she believed her lesbian lover exploited her belief in "evil spirits". |
Polly Chowdhury, 35 and Kiki Muddar, 43, are jointly accused over the death of Ayesha Ali. They deny the charges. | |
Ayesha was found dead in her bedroom in August 2013 having suffered numerous injuries, including a bite mark and carpet burns. | Ayesha was found dead in her bedroom in August 2013 having suffered numerous injuries, including a bite mark and carpet burns. |
Ms Muddar, the prosecution claim, made up characters to control Ms Chowdhury. | Ms Muddar, the prosecution claim, made up characters to control Ms Chowdhury. |
Ayesha was found dead in her bedroom at a flat in Chadwell Heath, east London, with more than 50 injuries to her body. | Ayesha was found dead in her bedroom at a flat in Chadwell Heath, east London, with more than 50 injuries to her body. |
The court previously heard how Ms Muddar pretended to have cancer and invented a cast of fictitious characters to seduce and poison Ms Chowdhury's mind against her daughter. | The court previously heard how Ms Muddar pretended to have cancer and invented a cast of fictitious characters to seduce and poison Ms Chowdhury's mind against her daughter. |
Giving evidence in her defence, Ms Chowdhury told jurors: "I believe now that the way Kiki Muddar was sending these messages, she knew she was going to get a reaction from me. | |
"Now I can see that things were engineered in such a way she knew exactly how my responses would be, that I would do anything to make things better." | "Now I can see that things were engineered in such a way she knew exactly how my responses would be, that I would do anything to make things better." |
The court heard Ms Chowdhury was brought up a Muslim by Bangladeshi parents in Hampstead, north London, and as part of that she believed in "possession by spirits" and "black magic". | The court heard Ms Chowdhury was brought up a Muslim by Bangladeshi parents in Hampstead, north London, and as part of that she believed in "possession by spirits" and "black magic". |
She said she confided her feelings of "guilt" and "low self esteem" in Ms Muddar from her teenage years after she terminated a pregnancy and had an abusive arranged marriage. | She said she confided her feelings of "guilt" and "low self esteem" in Ms Muddar from her teenage years after she terminated a pregnancy and had an abusive arranged marriage. |
'Someone would die' | 'Someone would die' |
One character called Jimmy sent her texts promising to treat her like a "princess" and encouraged her to send explicit photographs of herself via Facebook, jurors heard. | |
Asked why she could not walk away from the situation, she said: "Because if I did, then someone would die. Kiki would die, Jimmy would die, my parents would die, my family." | Asked why she could not walk away from the situation, she said: "Because if I did, then someone would die. Kiki would die, Jimmy would die, my parents would die, my family." |
Ms Chowdhury said the women were "soul mate friends", but for her the relationship was not sexual. | |
After she separated from her husband, she wanted to get a three-bedroom apartment but one of the characters, a Muslim spirit guide called "Skyman", told Ms Chowdhury she should get a two-bedroom place instead, prosecutors said. | |
Asked by her lawyer Ali Bajwa QC why she thought that was, the witness said: "So that she (Muddar) could be in my room." | |
The defendant said after Ms Muddar moved in to her bed, she would spend all night "touching" her body, but it was only to "heal" her. | |
Ms Chowdhury told the jurors: "When I stay with my sisters we always share the same bed and she was like my sister and I didn't feel any different about it. | |
"It was not anything sexual related in any way whatsoever." | |
Ms Muddar, of Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, and Ms Chowdhury, of Broomfield Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Essex, deny murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child, between March 1 and August 29 2013. | Ms Muddar, of Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, and Ms Chowdhury, of Broomfield Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Essex, deny murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child, between March 1 and August 29 2013. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |