A US judge convicted an elderly Pakistani immigrant Thursday of murdering his wife in their New York home, savagely beating her over the head after she refused to cook the food he wanted.
Noor Hussain, 75, who believed it was his right to “discipline” his wife, faces up to 25 years to life when he is sentenced next month. Frail and with medical problems, he will likely die behind bars.
He subjected Nazar, 66, his third wife, to at least 15 years of abuse and on the night of April 2, 2011 battered her 20 times around the head and body in their Brooklyn apartment.
Hussain admitted he struck her with a wooden stick after she made lentils rather than the goat dinner he wanted, and “disrespected” him by swearing at him.
His lawyer Julie Clark had argued for manslaughter in the second degree, saying he did not intend to kill her and thought it acceptable to discipline his wife of 21 years.
But Judge Matthew D’Emic handed down a second degree murder conviction, reaching a swift decision after the court saw gruesome evidence and heard harrowing testimony.
Hussain, who has been held since his arrest the day after his wife’s death, will be sentenced on June 16, Clark said.
He was “teary” when the verdict was announced, she said.
Clark conceded her client had battered his wife for 15-16 years, but denied he had a motive for murder.
“Culturally he was raised to believe that he had a right to discipline his wife,” she said. “I was not trying to indict the entire Pakistani culture.”
