A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a mother who was stabbed to death as she pushed her baby in a pram in Bradford city centre.
Habibur Masum, 25, is charged with murdering Kulsuma Akter, 27, who was believed to be his wife, on Saturday. The baby was not harmed in the incident, police said.
Masum, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, is also charged with possession of a bladed article.
He appeared at Bradford magistrates court on Thursday, where he was remanded in custody after the six-minute hearing.
Dressed in a grey sweatshirt and flanked by three security guards, Masum spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
Judge Boyd told the defendant: “You are charged with the offence of murder, which can only be dealt with at the crown court, and that offence is sent to Bradford crown court for your first hearing, which will take place [on Friday]. Between now and that date you are remanded in custody.”
Masum was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 170 miles away from where Akter was stabbed in Westgate at the junction with Drewton Road. He had been the subject of police appeals and a three-day manhunt.
A 23-year-old man arrested in the Cheshire area on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail, West Yorkshire police said.
Four other men were arrested in Aylesbury on suspicion of assisting an offender and drug offences. The men, aged 23, 26, 28 and 29, from the West Midlands area, are in custody, the force added.
Akter was taken to hospital after being stabbed several times and later died from her injuries.
West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester police forces both said they had referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as they had prior contact with Akter before she died.
Source: theguardian.com
