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Tanveer Iqbal trial: Jury told of lovers' texts

A woman accused of murdering Black Country businessman Tanveer Iqbal shared affectionate messages with her alleged victim just six days before his death, a court heard.

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Mr Iqbal's former lover Zatoon Bibi is one of three people standing trial for the murder of the 33-year-old at Birmingham Crown Court.

As she gave evidence, text messages between Bibi and Mr Iqbal from January 25 – six days before his death on January 31 – were read out by her barrister Jo Sidhu QC.

Bibi and Mr Iqbal posted kisses to each other and in the messages he referred to her as his 'hunny bunny'.

Mr Sidhu asked Bibi if the messages were 'a true reflection of how you felt about each other at that time?'

She replied: "Yes it was." Bibi also told the court she had enjoyed a cinema date with Mr Iqbal – who she had two children with – the next day, January 26. On February 1, police found Mr Iqbal's body stuffed into a cardboard box in his own Renault Clio, which was dumped in Portland Road, Edgbaston.

He had been strangled, according to a forensic report. Bibi, of Bridgeburn Road, Bartley Green, her ex-husband Gul Nawaz, of Roway Lane, Oldbury, and a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, all deny murdering Mr Iqbal.

The court heard a history of Bibi's relationship with Mr Iqbal, of Wadhurst Road, Edgbaston, as the defence. She told a jury she first met the 33-year-old when shopping in Cape Hill with her mother.

Bibi said it had become a habit to pop into Hi-Tech Music, which Mr Iqbal ran, to buy CDs and described him as 'charming, funny, he made me laugh'.

After an initially friendly relationship Bibi and Mr Iqbal slept together at a hotel in Edgbaston in October 2008.

Bibi said it 'just happened'. She said: "When I went home I felt really, really guilty about what I had done.

At the time it happened it was just a one-off thing." However after around 16 weeks Bibi, now 37, realised she was pregnant and she thought the baby might be Mr Iqbal's – which it was.

When the baby was born Bibi and Mr Iqbal arranged for him to see his daughter every week. In June 2010 he booked a trip to London with Bibi and their daughter.

After her return home Nawaz, 44, found a picture of Bibi, Mr Iqbal and their daughter and had a fit of rage.

Bibi said: "He was kicking me, punching me, then he said he was going to kill Tanveer and me. Then he went to the kitchen to go and get a knife. I took my daughter upstairs, locked the door and dialled 999."

Bibi said she didn't press charges against her husband, who she was betrothed to in an arranged marriage in 1997, but Nawaz divorced her Islamically and she moved out. Bibi and Mr Iqbal subsequently had an Islamic marriage in May 2011 and began to see each other more regularly, although they lived separately.

After they had a son together in 2013 Bibi told the court Mr Iqbal began to visit two or three times a week.

In January 2015, Mr Iqbal arranged for his wife Nasreen and Bibi to meet in Halesowen.

However their phone conversations began to anger Mr Iqbal, Bibi told the court.

Covertly recorded discussions between Zatoon Bibi and a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were read out as part of the prosecution case.

Bibi was secretly recorded blaming 44-year-old Nawaz for the killing, saying a row had erupted between her ex-husband and Mr Iqbal.

Bibi, Nawaz, of Roway Lane, Oldbury and the teenager deny murdering Mr Iqbal. The trial continues.

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