Death mail wife let off jail termBy Leyton and Leytonstone GuardianA HOUSEWIFE who sent herself knives and death threats in the post to try and frame her ex-husband has narrowly avoided being sent to prison. Naveeda Mahboob, 30, posted hate mail, brass tacks and serrated knives to her house, then told police her husband was trying to kill her. But an Old Bailey jury decided she was lying after hearing how saliva on the postage stamps contained her own DNA. A jury found her guilty last year of perverting the course of justice, a charge she denied. Last Thursday, Judge James Wadsworth QC sentenced her to community rehabilitation, telling her that she deserved to go to jail. He said: "What you did was wicked, be very clear on that. "Firstly, you caused great injustice to your husband and, secondly, you caused great public expense. "There are greater things that police money could be spent on than chasing around into your life. "What you did warrants a prison sentence but I am not going to pass one today. "The reason for that is that I believe you need serious help." The court earlier heard how Mahboob was desperate to win custody of her nine-year-old child after her marriage fell apart. She told police her husband, Hussain, was trying to kill her, and officers were so worried that they set up surveillance equipment on her home, in Crawley Road, Leyton. During one visit, police witnessed hate mail being delivered in the post, and took away the letter to test for DNA on the stamp. The saliva sample matched Naveeda Mahboob's. She sent 17 death threats to herself from April to September 2001. After being convicted of perverting the course of justice, Mahboob finally admitted to her friends and family that she was guilty, having staunchly maintained her innocence until then. Her lawyer, Roderick James, told the court last week: "It is patently obvious that a hugely significant step has already been taken between the trial and today, and that is that she has now admitted the offence. "She quite simply could not admit it in public, but she has done that now." 15:06 Tuesday 21st January 2003
More Stories By This Author
| 
Printer Friendly Format
Send This Page To A Friend
