41-year old, Babur Raja confessed attempted murder, attempted child destruction, possession of a knife in public and the wounding and attack of two passersby’s after the outbreak in Sutton Coldfield town centre.
At his hearing at Birmingham Crown Court, his lawyer said Raja’s traditional mother “literally drove him mad” before the attack, forcing him to pick between her and his partner, Natalie Queiroz.
Jane Humphryes QC said that the family tumult steered him to a momentary mental illness, or adjustment disorder, leaving him with minute recollection of his actions.
She said: “His mother had not been happy he was in a relationship with a white woman, and told him he must leave her or she would not be in contact.
“This man of impeccable character is driven literally to distraction, forced by his own mother to choose between her and his chosen partner and their unborn baby.”
The court heard that Queiroz’s breast implants possibly saved her life during the frantic assault.
Prosecutor Benjamin Aina QC said that if Raja had driven his knife 2mm further into Queiroz’s stomach, her unborn baby would have died.
The child was born unscathed and is doing well.
The judge, Simon Drew QC, told Raja: “Once you chose your mother over your partner and child, you resolved not only to terminate your relationship, but to terminate them.
“This was a deliberate, premeditated attack designed to kill and destroy your partner and unborn child.”
Ms Queiroz suffered from 24 knife wounds including stab wounds to her chest, stomach, upper right arm, and left wrist which has produced loss of feelings in her fingers.
She was taken to hospital and underwent an emergency Caesarean-section to deliver the baby and spent two weeks in hospital.
Registering the effect of the attack in a victim statement that was read in court, 40-year-old Ms Queiroz said she was “deceived and betrayed”, adding: “I am destroyed”
At this Raja looked at his feet.
She added: “I struggle to function normally”.
She described the way in which she had changed from being “fairly fearless and extremely confident” to having flashbacks of the attack and feeling “intense unease”.
The judge also indicated that it was “highly likely” the couple’s child “will suffer long-term psychological problems growing up knowing what you, the father, tried to do”.
The court also heard Raja received a photograph of his child, now living with its mother, from Ms Queiroz.
