THE first person to be extradited to Britain from Bahrain is facing a life sentence for murdering a woman whose body was dumped in a suitcase at Heathrow airport.
Youseff Wahid, 42, a former air steward, refused to take part in proceedings at the Old Bailey but today said that he wanted a barrister before sentencing.
Fatima Kama, 28, was said to live her life “like Holly Golightly” – the fun-loving Audrey Hepburn character in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s – The (London) Times reported.
She was on a week-long visit to London from Canada in July 1999 when she was attacked as she stayed at Wahid’s brother’s flat in Edgware Road, in central London.
She was repeatedly stabbed and her throat slashed before her body was put into a suitcase and taken on the Heathrow Express train from Paddington station. Her body was found soon after the suitcase was spotted abandoned on a trolley at one of the airport car parks.
Wahid fled Britain for his native Lebanon the following day. Pursued by Scotland Yard detectives, he fled again before he could be tried there, but was sentenced to death in his absence. He was eventually extradited from Bahrain last year.
Wahid was remanded in custody until October when Judge Paul Worsley will decide the minimum term, which could be up to 30 years.
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