Husband denies police wife murder

Fadi Nasri said he had nothing to do with his wife's life insurance

The husband of a special constable who was stabbed to death has denied knowing if his prostitute girlfriend was pregnant when his wife was killed.

Fadi Nasri, 34, is accused of arranging the killing to pay off debts with his wife's £350,000 life insurance policy, and because he was having an affair.

Nisha Patel-Nasri, 29, was stabbed at her home in Sudbury Avenue, Wembley, north-west London, in May 2006.

Mr Nasri, from Barnet, north London, denies murder.

Three other men, from London, also deny the same charge.

'Courageous wife'

At the Old Bailey, Mr Nasri said that he was paying a Lithuanian prostitute, Laura Mockiene, for sex and had begun an affair with her three months before Mrs Patel-Nasri's death.

But he denied suggestions by the prosecution the affair had anything to do with the murder, saying his wife was unaware of it and he loved his wife "very much".

He also denied knowing Ms Mockiene was pregnant at the time of the murder.

Three other men also deny Mrs Patel-Nasri's murder

Asked about his wife's life insurance policy, he said his wife decided to take out the life insurance policy and he had no hand in it.

He added he was "possibly watching TV" when she was discussing the policy with a financial advisor at their home.

He also dismissed allegations of being heavily in debt and said both his limousine-hire business and his wife's hairdressing business were doing well.

He told the court he earned more than £150,000 a year while Mrs Patel-Nasri was earning more than £60,000 annually.

But the pair did not declare their full income to avoid tax and a majority of their takings were in cash, Mr Nasri said.

Mr Nasri said his "courageous" wife had stood up to knife-wielding attackers on two previous occasions.

Rodger Leslie, 38, of Chesterfield Flats, Bells Hill, Barnet, Tony Emmanuel, 42, of Clements Road, East Ham, east London, and Jason Jones, 36, of Hathaway Crescent, Manor Park, east London, also deny murdering Mrs Patel-Nasri.

The trial continues.