Father-of-two is jailed for 25 years after stabbing his pregnant wife to death while his two young children were in the house

• Tariq Khan fled the scene leaving a knife in his wife Nadia's chest
• He stabbed her 17 times to the chest, back and abdomen 
• He pled guilty to murder, child destruction and an earlier assault on Nadia 
• Khan was today jailed for 24 years and 247 days at Bradford Crown Court 

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Tariq Khan launched the attack at their home in Manningham, Bradford while their two children, aged three and five, were in the house

A father-of-two killed his heavily pregnant wife after stabbing her 17 times to the chest, back and abdomen.

Tariq Khan launched the attack at their home in Manningham, Bradford while their two children, aged three and five, were in the house.

He fled the scene after the attack in June, leaving his children locked in the house and a knife in wife Nadia's chest.

He was today jailed for life at Bradford Crown Court and told he would spend a minimum of 24 years and 247 days behind bars before the Parole Board could consider whether he should be released. 

Sentencing him, Judge Roger Thomas QC, the Recorder of Bradford, said it was a knife attack of particular ferocity. 

He said Khan had delivered five substantial blows stab wounds to Nadia's abdomen, destroying the child he knew she was carrying. 

Khan had pleaded guilty to murder, child destruction, and an earlier assault on his wife.

Judge Thomas said: 'In any event within a very short time of the two of you beginning your whispered conversation in the kitchen you set about Nadia and your unborn son, who she was carrying, with extreme and ferocious violence, using a kitchen knife over and over again and driving it deep into her body and also into the body of your son.

'The prosecution therefore suggest, rightly in my judgement, that not only were you intent on killing Nadia but seemingly you were also specifically intent on destroying her unborn son.

'That is unhappily something that men such as you, who attack their wives, at times do. 

Destroying the child that she was so pleased to be carrying as some form of further punishment of her.'

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He fled the scene after the attack in June, leaving his children locked in the house and a knife in Nadia's chest

Nadia, who was raised in Bradford, was 17 when she went through an arranged marriage to 19-year-old Khan.

But she had spent most of her married life in West Yorkshire while Khan remained in Pakistan.

Nadia had two children with Khan and he eventually received permission to come to this country in October last year, but on Christmas Day he assaulted her and after she reported an incident to the police a Domestic Violence Protection Order lasting a month was issued.

A month before the murder, Khan attacked Nadia again and after he was arrested and charged by police with common assault he was given bail with a condition not to contact his wife or go within 100 metres of her home.

In her police statement Nadia said Khan could be controlling towards her and prone to jealousy.

Three days before he was due to make his first appearance before the magistrates court, Khan took a teenage relative with him to Nadia's home and Judge Thomas said the defendant had been 'devious and cunning' in circumventing her fear of him.

Khan had suggested that his wife had initially picked up the knife, but Judge Thomas said that was questionable as there were no defensive injuries on Nadia and the first blow was to her back rather than her front.

After sentencing, the family said in a statement: 'Nadia was a caring daughter and sister as well as a loving mother, and it kills us that her children will grow up without a mum and dad.

'Tariq Khan has caused us a lot of pain and we hope he stays in jail for the rest of his life, as his sentence can never be enough for what he has done.

'We would like to thank everyone who has been there for us, including the police and their family liaison officers who have given us great support at this very sad time.'

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus, said: 'Khan was clearly a very dangerous man and the community of Manningham is a safer place with him behind bars.

'Our condolences remain with Nadia's family and friends and we hope they can find some comfort in the sentence he has received today.'