Family members jailed after teenager was brutally beaten to death

Members of the family of a teenage girl who was beaten to death at her home after suffering years of abuse were jailed today.
Shahena Uddin, 19, suffered strange and brutal punishments at the hands of her family and was physically and verbally abused.

When she was found dead at her home, tests showed she had suffered head wounds and injuries consistent with her being beaten with weapons.
Members of Shahena's family have now been given combined prison sentences totalling 56 years for the abuse she suffered.

Her older brother Suhail Uddin, 35, received 10 years for causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult and conspiracy to convert the course of justice.
His wife Salma Begum, 32, was jailed for life for a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of murder.

Shahena's siblings were also jailed with Jewel Uddin, 27, receiving eight years, Jhuhal Uddin, 33, nine years, Tohel Uddin, 24, six-and-a-half years and Rehena Uddin, 22, five years.

Shahena was found dead at her home in Watford, Herts, on October 11 last year.

Jhuhal Uddin: Jailed for 9 years

A trial held at St Albans Crown Court heard Shahena was subjected to a 'regime of fear' and was physically and verbally abused.

The jury heard the punishments she endured included being forced to lick the toilet seat and eat her own faeces.
She also wrote a heartbreaking letter to Salma saying:

"I'm begging you to please help me. I feel like I have no-one..."It hurts when you call me a cow and a rat-dog... I am suffering. I have no-one to tell so please can you help me. "I will put my head in the toilet for you just to forgive me."

The truth of what exactly happened will never be known as the family refused to talk to the police and mounted a cover-up operation after the 19-year-old's death.
Ambulance staff called to the house in Leavesden Road, Watford on October 11 last year found her lifeless body in the bathroom.

The paramedics were told she had felt sick and fainted, but Shahena had been beaten with weapons in the course of the previous 24 hours, suffering head wounds and injuries and bruises to her body.
Shahena, who was one of eight siblings in a Bangladeshi family, was sometimes struck with a plastic baseball bat, Wii bat, a mop handle, and a glow stick.

Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC said her "offences" were eating at the wrong speed or not eating her food.

Tohel Uddin: Jailed for 6 and a half years

She was made to eat large amounts of rice and would be made to lick the toilet seat and stand for long periods staring into the toilet bowl.

She was told to eat her own faeces and vomit and pieces of paper and stand for long periods of time.
Shahena, who was just 4 feet 11 tall but weighed 13 stone, wasn't allowed to use the lavatory and, on occasions, she was forced to use a sink, getting into even more trouble.

Salma Begum: Jailed for at least 18 years

Pathologist Dr Robert Chapman said her eyes were black and swollen and her temple, both sides and the back of her head were covered in bruising. He said her lips were cut.
Dr Chapman said he found bruising to her shoulders and it appeared a "rod like" object with parallel sides has been used to strike her.

Strike marks were also found across her right breast, indicating that it had been "targeted."
In addition he said he found bruise marks to her hands, fingers and forearms, which indicated she had tried to defend herself from blows.

Suhail Uddin: Jailed for 10 years

There were bruise marks he said across her legs, which again he said appeared to have been caused by a rod like implement with parallel sides. He concluded she had choked on her own vomit.

Next-door-neighbour Michelle Crawford said that on the night of the murder she was woken by a loud thudding noise.