What happened to Ambreen Fatima Sheikh? Huddersfield woman left in vegetative state after being forced to take pills, doused with corrosive substance

UK residents Asgar Sheikh and his parents were jailed after they reportedly forced his wife, Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, to take anti-diabetes medication and doused her in a corrosive substance on February 14, 2024. His wife was left in a permanent vegetative state from which she can allegedly never recover. Ambreen Fatima Sheikh was brought to the UK from Pakistan after an arranged marriage in 2014.

She was force fed the anti-diabetes drug glimepiride by her husband, Asgar Sheikh and his parents, because they were reportedly "unhappy with her housework," as per the Daily Mail.

Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, then 30, suffered a catastrophic brain injury. She was also doused in a corrosive substance before being admitted to the hospital on August 1, 2015. Ambreen's family contacted police with concerns in July 2015.

It was previously understood that Ms Sheikh, now 39, would not survive. However, she was able to breathe in her vegetative state after her ventilator was turned off, reports The Mirror. As per prosecutors, Ambreen Fatima Sheikh will only survive by being fed through a tube and will eventually die, although it may not happen for years.

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What happened to Ambreen Fatima Sheikh in the UK?

The court noted that Ambreen Fatima Sheikh came to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, after being married to Asgar Sheikh in Pakistan.

The judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, said that she rarely left the house and was never alone. She had "no independent income, no friends in the UK and could speak only a little English."

"It is difficult to imagine a more serious injury, short of death."

No evidence could reportedly confirm when the abuse towards Ambreen began. The trial heard that shortly after she arrived in the UK, the Sheikhs were apparently not happy with her household work. Khalid Sheikh, Ambreen's father-in-law, suggested she should be sent back to Pakistan.

After Ambreen Fatima Sheikh's family went to police with concerns about her wellbeing in July 2015, two policemen from West Yorkshire Police did a "welfare check" on her, reporting Ms Sheikh being "fit and fine."

However, the judge attached “little weight to that assessment,” as Ambreen could speak little English and her father-in-law was present during the visit. She also noted that it is unclear if Ambreen was "tricked or forced" to take the anti-diabetic drug, as it was prescribed to Shabnam Sheikh, her mother-in-law, and dangerous to non diabetics, even in small doses.

The court also noted that there was a delay of two to three days before Ambreen Fatima Sheikh consumed the drug and the family called an ambulance. During this time, she reportedly drank other fluids, which worsened her brain injury. The family apparently lied about what happened to Ambreen when they called 999 for an ambulance. The judge said:

“You would all have been aware of her pain and distress. It’s just not realistic to conclude that you did not all know of Ambreen’s predicament and her desperate need for emergency medical care. You all also knew why she was in that condition.”

Justice Lambert mentioned that Ambreen Fatima Sheikh's father is now deceased, while her mother is in poor health in Pakistan. She has seven siblings, and one of her brothers had previously visited her in the UK.

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Ambreen Fatima Sheikh's abusers were found guilty in court

The victim's husband, Asgar Sheikh and his parents, Khalid and Shabnam Sheikh were all found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, February 14. At the time of the offence in 2014, the crime led to a minimum of 10 years in jail. However, the Parliament increased it to 14 years.

They were charged with allowing a vulnerable adult to suffer physical harm after the trial. Asgar Sheikh and his parents were sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison. Asgar Sheikh's brother, Sakalayne Sheikh, was given a six-month sentence and two years' suspension. His sister, Shagufa Sheikh, was given an 18-month sentence with a two-year suspension.

Asgar, Shabnam and Shagufa Sheikh were charged with doing an act "intending to pervert the course of justice" as per the Daily Mail. All five of the accused were found guilty of conspiracy to "pervert the course of justice."