Killer will take motive for hammer attack to the grave

Detectives who investigated the killing of Randa Kamblawi fear her husband Yahya Babiker will take the motive for the horrendous crime to the grave. The police comments came as CCTV footage was released of Babiker in a city Homebase store buying the hammer used just hours later to batter his student wife in their Newington flat.

The 45-year-old protested his innocence but was found guilty in less than an hour by a jury at the High Court in Perth yesterday.

Detectives interviewed Babiker's family and friends, and completed thorough checks of his background, but could find no motive for the murder.

Officers believe the Sudanese national refused to admit his guilt despite overwhelming evidence in an effort to avoid alienating his relatives.

Now Babiker faces a life sentence for murdering his 34-year-old wife at their Nicolson Street flat in October last year as their two children slept next door.

Detective Inspector Gary Cunningham, who led the inquiry, said: "One of the questions we tried to investigate fully was the motive for this man to kill his wife, especially in such a brutal fashion. Unfortunately, nothing was established during the course of the inquiry.

"We spoke to all his family and friends, and looked into his relationship with Mrs Babiker. She was a very good person, well-educated and devoted.

"There were no disturbances at their flat, or any prior involvement with the police.

"There's only one person who can answer why he did it and that's Mr Babiker himself. He has divulged nothing to police or his defence team, and maintained that his wife's death was due to him jokingly pushing her in the bath. Unless he chooses to reveal why he killed his wife then it will likely remain a mystery."

Babiker claimed his wife had slipped twice in the bath and hit her head on the taps, but the jury rejected his version of events after a 12-day trial.

The shopfitter had gone out on the afternoon of 19 October to the Homebase store in St Leonard's Street near his home, where he was caught on CCTV buying a claw hammer. The footage showed Babiker weighing up a crowbar before purchasing the murder weapon.

Sometime that night, he attacked his wife of eight years as she lay in bed, hitting her at least five times with the hammer. Babiker dropped her body into the bath and made a start on cleaning up evidence of the attack, but there was so much blood he gave up and decided to flee.

He took their young children to a relative's in Niddrie Mains Avenue, telling them his wife was "tired" and unwell.

Babiker then took a taxi to Edinburgh Airport then a flight to London. While police hunted him, he decided to return to the Capital on the same day and handed himself in to the Royal Edinburgh psychiatric hospital.

DI Cunningham said that no financial difficulties or other problems affecting the couple had come to light, and the killer had not previously sought help for any mental health problems.

He added: "When Mr Babiker came back from London, the first place he went was the Royal Edinburgh. But he was assessed as mentally fit to face trial.

"He's a Sudanese Muslim and his faith involves very tight family relationships. For him to admit carrying out an act so against his faith would result in him being distanced from all family and friends. . By maintaining his innocence, he has tried to avoid that.

"He showed an extremely low level of emotion through all parts of this process."

Babiker came to Scotland in 1997 but found it difficult to find and hold down jobs due to his poor education. Although working as a shopfitter at the time of his arrest, he mostly survived through benefits and charity from his community.

He was remanded in custody until sentencing on 29 June.