The Pakistani immigrant who beat his wife to death because she cooked lentils when he “demanded that she make goat for dinner” was found guilty of murder Thursday.
Noor Hussain, 75, told cops he began beating his wife in their Brooklyn apartment because she refused to cook the meal he craved on April 2, 2011, court papers state.
“He demanded that she make goat for dinner. She said, ‘No, I made gram,’ a traditional Pakistani lentil dish,” defense attorney Julie Clark said in her closing argument.
“He had told her he wanted a particular type of meat for dinner, goat meat, and she refused. So he took up a stick to discipline her for not making the meal he wanted.”
Prosecutors said Hussain purposely killed Nazar Hussain, 66, and should be found guilty of murder.
“Not in Pakistan and not in Brooklyn is it acceptable to hit your wife again and again until she gets a brain hemorrhage and dies,” assistant district attorney Josh Charlton said in his closing argument.
Clark had argued earlier that Hussain “comes from a culture where he thinks this is appropriate conduct, where he can hit his wife.”
Brooklyn Supreme Court judge Matthew D’Emic said he considered a verdict of manslaughter but decided Hussain meant for his wife to die.
“The brutal and vicious assault consisted of several blows to the head with a weapon that was solid enough to split her head open,” the judge said.
“The defendant intended to cause her death. I find him guilty of murder.”
Hussain faces up to 25 years to life when he is sentenced June 16.