Man Appears In Court Accused Of Stabbing Pregnant Woman In Sutton Coldfield

7 March 2016, 17:20 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A man's appeared in court accused of repeatedly stabbing his heavily pregnant partner in an attack in a Birmingham street.

Babur Karamat Raja was not required to enter pleas to one charge of attempted child destruction and two charges of attempted murder when he appeared before magistrates in Birmingham.

Raja, of Hollyfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, was arrested on Friday in the Trinity Hill area of the town after Natalie Queiroz suffered multiple wounds to her abdomen shortly after 3.15pm.

The 40-year-old's unborn child was delivered safely on Friday evening and is said to be doing well in hospital.

Magistrates heard that Raja is accused of possessing a knife in a public place and attempting to kill both Ms Queiroz and passer-by John Mitchell, who suffered a hand injury as he tried to intervene.

Raja has also been charged with assaulting another witness, Anthony Smith, and is alleged to have attempted to "destroy'' the life of the unborn baby girl.

The defendant, who appeared in the dock wearing jogging bottoms and a grey T-shirt, was remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Crown Court via video-link on April 6.

In a statement released through West Midlands Police on Sunday, Ms Queiroz's family praised the "fearlessness'' of passers-by who came to her aid.

They said: "We'd all like to express our heartfelt thanks to everybody who helped her on Friday afternoon.''