A firefighter despatched to assist a pregnant lady allegedly pushed to her demise off an Edinburgh landmark was instructed by a person that he had by chance ran into her whereas trying to take a selfie, a homicide trial has been instructed.
Sean Stratford instructed jurors he was approached by the person whereas trying to assist Fawziyah Javed, who suffered deadly accidents within the fall from Arthur’s Seat in September 2021.
He instructed a court docket that the person claimed the 31-year-old mother-to-be had fallen off the hill after he ran into her whereas making an attempt to get a selfie.
Ms Javed and her unborn little one each died shortly after the autumn. Her husband Kashif Anwar, 29, from Leeds, is on trial accused of her homicide.
He denies all the fees in opposition to him, together with considered one of appearing in a threatening and abusive method in the direction of his spouse at a resort in Edinburgh the day earlier than the alleged homicide.
Mr Stratford, who gave proof to the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, was one of many emergency responders dispatched to the scene simply after 9pm.
He instructed the trial that rescue crews couldn’t discover Ms Javed after they arrived however a person approached them to help and identified the world.
The firefighter mentioned he couldn’t bear in mind if the person recognized himself because the injured lady’s husband or not.
Mr Stratford instructed the court docket: “He said that he stood up to take a selfie, he slipped and bumped her and she had fallen.”
Mr Stratford mentioned the person appeared to be “calm” as he spoke with him on the scene.
Defending, Ian Duguid KC performed a 999 recording of Anwar during which he instructed ambulance name handlers of the incident and may very well be heard shouting to individuals who had managed to succeed in Ms Javed.
But Mr Stratford mentioned the person who had spoken to him didn’t sound the identical method. He additionally confirmed that Anwar had not talked about a selfie in the course of the emergency name.
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Pregnant lady ‘pushed to her demise’ was afraid of heights, court docket instructed
‘I heard a lady scream’
On Monday, the court docket heard from Claire Pentony, 33, who had been on the hill on the time of the alleged incident and likewise referred to as 999.
She instructed advocate depute Alex Prentice: “I heard what sounded like rocks falling and a woman scream and say ‘help’ at the same time.
“I do know the world pretty properly, I thought anyone who did not had maybe fallen or had an accident.”
The court also heard from another witness, Nicola Lilly, 44, who gave evidence about an incident in Pudsey, Leeds, a month earlier, in August 2021.
She told the court: “I simply knew one thing wasn’t proper. She was simply making an attempt to get away from him and [he] was being, type of, aggressive in the direction of her.”
Ms Lilly said she saw Ms Javed being “pulled about”, and that she had become concerned for her.
She told the court that Ms Javed later appeared “very upset and frightened” and recognized the person as her husband.
The trial continues.
Source: information.sky.com”