Woman engulfed in flames tragically dies after screaming ‘my husband, he did it’

A woman who was engulfed in flames tragically died after running into the street screaming, ‘my husband, he did it’.

Nosheen Akhtar, 31, died at Wythenshawe Hospital after suffering severe burns as she told paramedics ‘her husband threw liquid on her’ before ‘setting her on fire’, an inquest has heard — reported by the Manchester Evening News.

She passed away the day after the horrific incident at her home on East Street in Bury, on July 23rd, 2021. One of the paramedics who treated Ms Akhtar said that she told her: “My husband, he did it.”

Amy Bradburn described Ms Akhtar — who was also known as Sarah Hussain — as having ‘extensive burns’ on her body and her ‘face looked as though it had melted’.

Ms Bradburn’s colleague, Duncan Mayoh, recalled Ms Akhtar ‘screaming in agony for us to help her’ and while inside the ambulance on the way to hospital, he said Ms Akhtar claimed ‘her husband had thrown liquid on her and set her on fire’. 

Mr Mayoh said Ms Akhtar did not appear ‘confused’ when she made the claim, after receiving a high dose of morphine.

While Ms Akhtar was rushed to casualty, her husband Waqas Mahmood was treated at the scene for several blister burns to his hand. Paramedic Dominic Wilson said he appeared ‘worked up’ but was ‘co-operative’ while he attended to his injuries.

He told the inquest: “I asked what had happened and he explained that his wife had poured white spirit on herself and set fire to herself. She came into the living room on fire and he set about trying to extinguish the flames using cushions, towels and blankets then picked her up and took her out of the house.”

However, the inquest heard that CCTV footage showed Ms Akhtar running out of the property whilst on fire. She was then followed by Mr Mahmood and his brother Hasnain Mahmood —who could both be seen using cushions attempting to put the flames out.

Investigators who visited Ms Akhtar and Mr Mahmood’s home following the incident found two open bottles containing an accelerant and a lighter on the living room floor, the inquest was told.

Emma Wilson, a fire investigator who examined the scene, said tests showed the accelerant had likely been poured over Ms Akhtar before the back of her tunic was set alight. She also said the damage to the sofa and throw in the living room suggested Ms Akhtar was standing when her clothing was set alight before sitting down for ‘a matter of seconds’.

Ms Wilson added that either Ms Akhtar or Mr Mahmood could have set the clothing alight, but Ms Akhtar would have had to ‘reach around’ herself in order to do so. She added: “It would seem more likely that the wearer would ignite it in an accessible location.

“It’s less likely she would reach around to ignite it at the rear.”

A post-mortem examination carried out on Ms Akhtar’s body found she had suffered ‘widespread burns to her body’, the inquest heard. In a statement read out in court, pathologist Dr Philip Lumb gave her cause of death as ‘burns and inhalation of the products of combustion’.

The inquest heard that in the months prior to her death, Ms Akhtar, who grew up in Pakistan, had spoken to family and health professionals about problems in her marriage with Mr Mahmood. Ms Akhtar’s mother, Zaheera Bibi, said her daughter told her that she and Mr Mahmood regularly argued and she was ‘fed up’ about Mr Mahmood visiting his ex-wife.

She said: “She used to ring and cry on the phone. There were so many fights and arguments between them.”

Following a visit to see family in Pakistan in 2020, Ms Bibi said Ms Akhtar started crying and ‘seemed worried’ about returning home to the UK. She added: “She wanted to make her marriage successful and she wanted to do whatever she could do to save her marriage.”

The inquest went on to hear that Ms Akhtar was taken to hospital in February 2021 after taking an overdose, and told medics she had done so following an argument in which Mr Mahmood threatened to leave her.

Ms Akhtar’s GP, Dr Afzal Hussain, told the inquest that during an appointment the next month, Ms Akhtar claimed she had taken the overdose ‘in frustration’ and accused Mr Mahmood of ‘neglecting and ignoring’ her. He added: “The majority of her issues were related to her husband still seeing his ex-wife and children on an almost daily basis.”

Ms Bibi said she and her daughter spoke on the phone on a daily basis. During a conversation on the afternoon of July 23rd, she said Ms Akhtar seemed ‘in a happy mood’ and did not believe she would have set herself on fire.

In a statement read out in court, Ms Akhtar’s family described her as ‘brave’ and ‘good-natured’ but said she ‘kept a lot from the family’. They said: “Nosheen did not want to show the family that she was stressed.

“She was very nice. She used to take care of us like a mother. She had a good nature and used to think of us all while living in the UK. She used to get worried for others and always wanted to do something for them.”

The inquest, expected to last seven days, will continue tomorrow.