A man accused of attempting to murder his wife has admitted lying to police about his movements in the build up to and during the attack.

Altaf Mahmood is on trial for the attempted murder of Yasmin Shahid following an attack at her home in Middlesbrough.

He has admitted to hitting her with a stick “three or four” times and holding a pillow over her face after entering her home in Maria Street while she was asleep. He denies attempted murder.

Read more: Attempted murder accused tells of moment he held pillow over her face to 'scare her' 

The 60-year-old, who has Parkinson’s, admits he drove to Middlesbrough from his home in Coventry on the evening of June 27, 2021.

On Thursday, the fourth day of the trial at Teesside Crown Court, prosecutor Susan Hirst questioned Mahmood on comments he made in police interviews after his arrest in June 2021.

Mahmood, of Lythalls Lane, Coventry, had initially claimed the stick he used to beat Ms Shahid with was picked up by the front door of her North Ormesby home, but admitted in court on Thursday that that was incorrect.

Mahmood was seen on CCTV walking the streets of Middlesbrough carrying a white bag before and after the attack, believed to contain a stick and a face mask he wore to disguise himself.

When asked why he took the weapon to Ms Shahid’s house, he replied: “Just to scare her, to show her’. Teesside Crown Court heard Mahmood repeatedly beat his wife with a stick, causing several cuts and bruises to her face, a swollen right eye and approximately a three-inch-deep cut exposing her skull.

He told the court he had hit his wife after she bit his thumb when his hand was over her mouth.

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He also told jurors he had held a pillow over her face for several seconds to stifle the noise of her crying out.

After hours of cross-examination by the prosecution, he appeared frustrated. He said: "I told you that was no intention to kill her, why are you asking me again and again?

"Every time you accuse me of murder. Don’t ask me again and again if I planned to kill her."

During cross examination, Ms Hirst said: “You were furious Yasmin wanted to live her life without you and you weren’t going to allow her to do that, were you?”

Mahmood replied: “My thinking was I would leave this matter in an amicable way.”

Ms Hirst added: “When you went into her house in the early hours of the morning you fully intended to kill her, didn’t you?”

He answered: “No question of that.”

The trial continues.

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