Man denies murdering pregnant wife from Pudsey, Leeds, by pushing her off of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh

Kashif Anwar stands accused of behaving in a threatening and abusive way towards his wife Fawziyah Javed on September 1, 2021 at a hotel in the Scottish capital, and then of murdering her the next day by pushing her from the hill in Holyrood Park, causing her multiple blunt force injuries. The High Court in Edinburgh was told this caused the death of the 31-year-old, from Pudsey, and that of her unborn child.

Anwar, 29, appeared in the dock for the first day of his trial today (Wednesday), where his defence solicitor Brian Gilfedder told the jury his client denies both the charges against him.

The jury was told the Crown case, led by advocate depute Alex Prentice KC, includes allegations that Anwar knocked his wife unconscious in a cemetery in Pudsey in March 2021. The court heard he seized her on the body, struggled with her, and caused her to fall to the ground, then struck her on her head when she was rendered unconscious.