Arthur's Seat murder trial told couple walked to hill 'arm-in-arm'

A man and his pregnant wife that he is accused of murdering in Edinburgh were seen walking arm-in-arm to the landmark hill where she later died, a court heard.

Fawziyah Javed and her unborn baby died after falling from Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh in September 2021.

Kashif Anwar, 29, is accused of murdering Fawziyah Javed, 31, in September 2021 by pushing her from Arthur’s Seat, causing her multiple blunt force injuries and ultimately her death, and that of her unborn child. He denies the charge.

On Tuesday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Anwar, from Leeds, was acquitted of a second charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive way towards his wife at a hotel in Edinburgh the day before the alleged murder.

Detective Constable Emma Todd, was taken through security camera footage which included the couple’s walk to Holyrood Park.

“They were arm-in-arm for most of the way,” the officer said.

They were seen walking from Wagamama in St Andrew’s Square, through Waverley Railway station, down Canongate and then past the Scottish Parliament.

Ian Duguid KC, defending Anwar, told the jury: “As they walk down St Andrew Street, she has her arm through his arm.”

From the exit to the restaurant, and almost all the way to the entrance of the park, they were “closely in each other’s company, physically close to each other,” he said.

Mr Duguid said, with the exception of a short period they were “arm-in-arm”.

The trial, before Lord Beckett, continues.