Ilford man found guilty of strangling his wife

Ilyas Muhammad, a wholesale fruit and vegetable seller based in Ilford has been found guilty of strangling his wife, Maria Chavez, to death at the Old Bailey. The incident took place at their home when all three of the couple’s children were at school on 13 May, 2021.

During the trial, it was revealed by a teenage girl who was present at the scene that Muhammad pretended to cry when he saw his wife’s lifeless body, but it was very evident that he felt no remorse. He also hesitated to call the ambulance immediately after he saw his wife’s visibly “purple” face.

Eventually, a neighbour dialed 999 and the emergency services were made aware of the incident. While waiting for the ambulance, she was instructed how to perform CPR by an NHS call handler. She said that when she was performing CPR, she could see “something in her mouth” which is assumed to be a bruise.

After the emergency services arrived at the scene, Maria was pronounced dead, but the cause was yet to be determined. A post-mortem examination was carried out and it was revealed that Chavez died from compressions to her neck. Further investigation prompted the police to arrest Muhammad two weeks later, who denied having any role to play in his wife’s death. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial as well.

Sufficient evidence was found in a CCTV camera on Kingston Road, which captured the last moments before Chavez’s death. On the day of the murder, she was supposed to attend an appointment, but Muhammad started contacting people telling them that she “got lost”. He left the house at 4.30pm and returned two hours later. Evidence, however, pointed towards Chavez being strangled between 1pm and 4pm.

Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, from the Specialist Crime Command, said, “Ilyas has not offered any explanation about the circumstances that led to his wife’s death and has refused to accept responsibility for her murder. This is a tragic case that has left three children without their parents and I’m sure what they’ve been through will remain with them for the rest of their lives. My thoughts are with them and the rest of Maria’s family and friends.”