• Husband battered his sleeping wife to death with a hammer 'hitting her 10 times when he found a text message she had sent to another man'

·         >Danish Irfan, 22, admits manslaughter but denies murdering Ridda Zanab, 21

·         >Attack sparked by discovery of text message reading 'I luv yu', jury told

·       >  Ms Zanab had only given birth to couple's daughter two months before death

·         >After killing, Irfan told his family Ms Zanab had 'kicked off' and left home

·        > He then flew to Pakistan on a false passport, Bradford Crown Court hears

·         >But he told a friend about her death and police found her body at their home

·         '>Possessive' Irfan 'did not like Westernised wife working or seeing family'

·         >Ms Zanab had been spending time with a close friend 'Rob' before attack

Sources: CHRIS BROOKE.

A possessive and controlling  husband murdered his sleeping wife with a hammer after finding her intimate message to another man, a court heard yesterday.

Danish Irfan, 22, hit Ridda Zanab at least ten times in a jealous fury after he read the text ‘I luv yu, mwahhh, gud nyt’, it is claimed.

The couple’s marriage was allegedly on the rocks because the Pakistani husband disapproved of his British-born wife’s westernised lifestyle and love of going out.

The idea of her working, wearing western clothes or seeing friends and family had already led to him to try to strangle her, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Mrs Zanab had given birth to their daughter two months before she was killed.

After the baby was born Irfan, who worked in a takeaway, became more jealous and may have been tracking his wife on his iPhone, according to Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting.

Mrs Zanab then developed a relationship with a man known as Rob and told her husband their marriage was over.

Danish Irfan, 22, is accused of battering his sleeping wife to death with a hammer, hitting her 10 times after he found she had sent a text to another man

On the day she died last November she sent the fatal text to Rob shortly after midnight and came home at 4.42am.

Mr Sharp said sometime that morning Irfan read it, adding: ‘The defendant came into the bedroom, he was holding a hammer. He repeatedly struck her to the head, swinging at least ten hard blows down on her skull.’

Mr Sharp said Mrs Zanab died in minutes from massive brain damage. Irfan then told a series of lies to his wife’s family, saying she had ‘kicked off’ and left their home in Bradford.

Ridda Zanab, 21, who the court heard had a Westernised outlook on life, had only given birth to the couple's daughter two months before her death
He said he needed to leave the baby with them because he had to go to work, but instead travelled to Manchester Airport where he unsuccessfully tried to get himself deported back to Pakistan because his student visa had expired.

The jury heard that Irfan, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, made his way to London where he obtained a false passport and used it to fly to Islamabad from Heathrow.

But he had already told a friend that he had killed his wife and police found Mrs Zanab’s body in the house.

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The court heard that Irfan did not like his wife going to work or wearing western clothes

In February, Irfan alerted the authorities of his intention to return to the UK and he was arrested on arrival.

Mr Sharp told the jury the couple were from very different backgrounds.

Mrs Zanab was said to like a night out and ‘had a rebellious streak to her’.

She had boyfriends before meeting her future husband when she was just 19. He had been in the country only six months when they met and did not share her pleasure in going out.

Mr Sharp said her family disapproved of Irfan and no relatives were invited to their wedding. In December 2012, Mrs Zanab was taken to hospital with red marks on her neck and Irfan admitted trying to smother her with a pillow and strangle her.

The victim’s sister, Saima Parveen, said she thought the couple had been happy until her sister was hospitalised in that incident.

Mrs Parveen angrily confronted Irfan and said to her brother-in-law: ‘What on earth have you done to her?’ He replied: ‘She makes me really angry.’

The court heard of another occasion when Irfan smashed the television with a hammer.

Mr Sharp told the jury it was not disputed that Irfan killed his wife but they would have to consider what was acting on his mind at the time.

The court heard that Irfan did not like his wife going to work or wearing western clothes

The trial continues.

Bradford Crown Court heard that by late October Ms Zanab had come to the conclusion she was no longer going to be a loyal wife and in the days leading up to her death developed a relationship with another man