R vs MILES and DANISH ( 2006 )

Life for man who murdered lover's husband

Daily Mail online.

 15 March 2006

An illegal immigrant who murdered a maths teacher because he wanted to marry his wife for money and a British passport has been jailed for life.

Edward Miles, a 45-year-old special needs teacher, was stabbed to death by wife Mariam and her lover Sheik Danish, an Old Bailey court heard.

Mariam Miles wanted to leave her husband and stood to make more than £200,000 from his death.

Together with Danish, who planned to marry her, she attacked Mr Miles in the couple's east London home.

He was stabbed more than 50 times before his body was thrown into a bath, said David Fisher QC, prosecuting.

After the murder on May 2 2003, Danish left the country for Europe, only to be stopped at immigration on his return two weeks later.

He told a police officer: "I don't care any more - I murdered."

Mariam Miles, who was suffering from mental illness, earlier admitted her husband's manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility - a plea accepted by the prosecution.

Danish, 24, of east London, who denied murder, was convicted by the jury.

Jailing him for life, Judge David Paget, said: "I have no doubt that together with Mariam Miles you planned to murder Mr Miles in order to marry her and thereby acquire the money she would inherit following the death - and a British passport.

"The circumstances of this murder were brutal but reveal you couldn't possibly have hoped to conceal what you and she had done."

Judge Paget ordered it would be at least 15 years before Danish is considered for release.

Mr Fisher told the court that Mr Miles was a maths teacher who had become head of department at a special needs school in Hackney, east London.

"His colleagues and friends join in characterising him as kind and gentle," he said.

Mr Miles visited Pakistan in a year out in 1986 and converted to Islam. He also met and married Mariam and the couple returned to England the following year, going on to have three children together.

Mr Miles had been hardworking and careful and had assets valued at £220,000.

"Mr Miles died without leaving a will meaning all proceeds would be paid out to his wife", said Mr Fisher.

Mariam had known Danish's sister and the two in turn became friends. In the time leading up to Mr Miles' death the pair had been in regular phone contact and Danish had told a friend he wanted to marry her.