ALI ZAIN FROM FARNWORTH SENTENCED FOR MURDERING BABY DAUGHTER IN BRUTAL CRIME

In a tragic case that has shocked the community of Farnworth, a father named Ali Zain has been convicted of the murder of his 10-month-old daughter, Aiman Toor. The devastating incident unfolded in November 2019, leaving the local community in mourning and raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the child's death.

Ali Zain, aged 25 at the time, was sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury at Manchester Crown Court found him guilty of murder following a harrowing two-week trial. The court was told that Zain, who was employed as a Subway sandwich shop manager, had initially claimed that Aiman's death resulted from an accidental fall down the stairs at their home on Crompton Street, Farnworth. However, medical evidence and forensic investigations painted a very different picture.

Prosecutors revealed that Zain had been dishonest with police, medical professionals, and his own family, altering his account of events multiple times. Initially, he insisted that Aiman had died when he was carrying her and they fell down the stairs. But as medical examinations showed no injury to her head, and a rash was discovered indicating asphyxiation, Zain admitted to lying. He then claimed that he had accidentally rolled onto her while they were sleeping together in his bed.

Further forensic analysis disproved this version of events. The court heard that Zain had admitted to holding a quilt over Aiman’s face for several minutes because she would not stop crying. Despite his claims of innocence, the evidence suggested that he had deliberately smothered her, and that her injuries, including fractured ribs, were consistent with forceful compression. The court was told that her ribs had been fractured just days before her death, likely from squeezing her chest, and that she would have been struggling to breathe during the act of smothering.

On the day of her death, Zain called emergency services at 5:30 pm, claiming that Aiman was not breathing after falling down the stairs and hitting her head. Paramedics arrived but were unable to revive her. Medical professionals who examined her found no head injuries consistent with a fall, but instead observed hemorrhaging on her face, indicating she had been asphyxiated. Experts testified that her death was not peaceful and that she would have fought desperately to breathe, struggling against her father’s actions.

Throughout the trial, Zain’s changing stories were scrutinized. He first claimed that her death was accidental, resulting from him falling asleep with her and unintentionally smothering her. Later, he admitted that he had deliberately covered her with a quilt until she stopped crying, but maintained that he did not intend to kill her. The court, however, was unconvinced by his explanations, emphasizing that his actions were deliberate and brutal.

Judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen sentenced Zain to life imprisonment, stating that he would serve a minimum of 17 years and six months before being eligible for parole. She condemned his actions as “brutal and deliberate,” emphasizing the profound loss suffered by Aiman’s family. The judge expressed her sorrow for the pain inflicted on her mother, grandparents, and the wider family, who had lost a child who brought them immense joy.

Ali Zain’s background was also discussed during the proceedings. He and his cousin, Sahar Toor, had married in Pakistan, and he moved to the UK in 2017 to join her. Their daughter, Aiman, was born in December 2018. On the day she died, Zain was expecting his wife’s parents to care for the baby, but he found himself alone with her in the afternoon after his wife went to work. It was during this time that his frustration and anger, triggered by her persistent crying, led to the tragic outcome.

In court, Zain admitted that his initial lies about the circumstances of Aiman’s death were motivated by fear of his wife and her family’s reaction. However, the judge highlighted that his dishonesty was an attempt to align his account with medical evidence and to shield himself from responsibility. The court concluded that his actions were premeditated in their brutality, and that his remorse appeared to stem from the realization of the consequences he now faced, rather than genuine regret for his actions.