'Heaton man, 21, stabbed his mother in the face'

Mohammed Zanul Islam Hussain, 21, of Water Lily Road, Heaton, the oldest of Hafsa Begum’s children, is accused of wounding her with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm on August 13 last year.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to wounding her but told police it had been an accident, the trial at Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Mehran Nassiri said Hussain dealt with his mental illness by drinking alcohol to excess.

On August 13 he was taken home by police after officers found him in Bradford city centre intoxicated and asking to see the Prime Minister.

At 8.30pm he woke up after sleeping off the alcohol on the settee, Mr Nassiri said, and began shouting at his mother, accusing her of using black magic.

He also made threats to kill, said Mr Nassiri and his brother Habib intervened and told him to calm down and stop shouting.

Mr Nassiri said Hussain became progressively more upset and began to push things over and wave his arms around before he and his brother began to fight. Hussain’s brother restrained him in a bear hug but he freed himself and went into the kitchen. Mr Nassiri said Habib realised the defendant was going to arm himself with a knife and went outside to get a stick.

Through the window, the court heard, Habib saw his brother strike his mother in the face.

Mr Nassiri said both Habib and his mother thought the blow had been “just a punch” but when he went to her he found she had a blade embedded in her face. Police were called and Hussain was found hiding in a garden.

Mr Nassiri told the court Mrs Begum’s injury had been life-threatening. In a statement to police Mrs Begum said her son should receive treatment rather than being sent to prison, the court heard.

She waved to her son as she entered the witness box yesterday before the jury watched a videotaped interview in which she described the events.

The trial continues.