A jealous husband has been found guilty of “savagely” killing his wife after she struck up a friendship with another man.
Agim Isaku, 40, of Southall, strangled 33-year-old Elife Bega, known to her friends as Eli, in the couple’s bedroom after he became increasingly controlling in their marriage, a court heard.
Isaku banned Eli, mother to his two children, from Facebook, monitored her phone and ordered her to leave her job after learning she had begun an innocent relationship with another man.
He was found guilty of her manslaughter following a 24-day trial at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced on Tuesday.
On Thursday, August 13, Isaku phoned police at 1.12am to say he thought his wife was dead.
When the operator asked how she had died, he replied: “Struggling together, struggling together, with each other.”
Police arrived at the couple’s flat and found Eli unconscious on the floor. She was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead later that day.
A post-mortem examination said Eli died as a result of compression of the neck while she also suffered back and arm injuries.
Isaku was arrested at the flat for attempted murder and then for murder.
When interviewed, he refused to answer most questions put to him, saying he was confused and depressed, but did say he had been married to Eli for 13 years and the couple have two children.
He told police he held his wife in a headlock after she tried to stab him.
A knife was found in the bedroom, but Isaku later admitted in court he had taken it from the kitchen and placed it in the room.
Detective Inspector Louise Knipe of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "This was a terrible crime that has taken the life of a young woman and robbed two young children of their mother.
“Eli told a friend she was she was planning on making her husband a cake for his birthday and she seems to have been working hard to make the marriage work.
"Despite Eli's efforts to make her husband happy, Isaku's unfounded jealously drove him to carry out a savage assault.
“He then tried to shift the blame for the violence on Eli, but the jury has seen through his lies and convicted him of manslaughter.
"No one should live in fear and I would appeal to anyone who is living with domestic abuse, or knows someone who is, to contact police.
“We have specialist officers who are there to help and support victims and your call to police may save a life."
