Family Jailed for brutally beating teenager Shahena Uddin to death

Watford woman subjected to humiliating punishments including licking toilet seat and eating her own faeces, court hears.

After suffering from years of horrific abuse, Shahena Uddin, a teenager from Watford, was brutally beaten to death, resulting in the imprisonment of her family members.

Members of Shahena’s family have now been given combined prison sentences totalling 56 years for the abuse she suffered.

Shahena Uddin, 19, was physically and verbally abused and suffered bizarre and brutal punishments at the hands of her own family.

Tests revealed that she had sustained head wounds and injuries that were consistent with being assaulted with weapons before she was discovered deceased at her residence.

Her older brother Suhail Uddin, 35, received 10 years for causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult and conspiracy to convert the course of justice.

His wife Salma Begum, 32, was jailed for life for a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of murder.

Shahena’s siblings were also jailed with Jewel Uddin, 27, receiving eight years, Jhuhal Uddin, 33, nine years, Tohel Uddin, 24, six-and-a-half years and Rehena Uddin, 22, five years.

Shahena was found dead at her home in Watford, Herts, on October 11 last year.

A trial held at St Albans Crown Court heard Shahena was subjected to a ‘regime of fear’ and was physically and verbally abused.

The jury heard the punishments she endured included being forced to lick the toilet seat and eat her own faeces.

She also wrote a heartbreaking letter to Salma saying: “I’m begging you to please help me. I feel like I have no-one…

“It hurts when you call me a cow and a rat-dog… I am suffering. I have no-one to tell so please can you help me?

“I will put my head in the toilet for you just to forgive me.”

The truth of what exactly happened will never be known as the family refused to talk to the police and mounted a cover-up operation after the 19-year-old’s death.

Ambulance staff called to the house in Leavesden Road, Watford on 11 October last year and found her lifeless body in the bathroom.

The paramedics were told she had felt sick and fainted, but Shahena had been beaten with weapons in the course of the previous 24 hours, suffering head wounds and injuries and bruises to her body.

Shahena, who was one of eight siblings in a Bangladeshi family, was sometimes struck with a plastic baseball bat, Wii bat, a mop handle, and a glow stick.

Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC said her “offences” were eating at the wrong speed or not eating her food.

She was made to eat large amounts of rice and would be made to lick the toilet seat and stand for long periods staring into the toilet bowl.

She was told to eat her own faeces and vomit and pieces of paper and stand for long periods of time.

Shahena, who was just 4 feet 11 tall but weighed 13 stone, wasn’t allowed to use the lavatory and, on occasions, she was forced to use a sink, getting into even more trouble.