Oldham man who killed estranged wife sentenced

Abid Mahmood pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility after Tamby Dowling died from multiple stab wounds.

Mahmood (35), of Cambridge Street, Oldham, received a lifetime hybrid hospital order – to serve a minimum of 10 years - today (Thursday 30 June 2022) at Manchester Crown Court having admitted the charge at an earlier hearing.

He also admitted section 18 assault on a 16-year-old girl where he was ordered to serve six years concurrently.

Officers were called Water Mill Avenue, Oldham, at about 7pm on Monday 8 November 2021 to reports of a stabbing.

Emergency services found two people with stab injuries – Ms Dowling and a 16-year-old girl.

Mahmood turned up unannounced and forced his way into the address. He punched Ms Dowling before pulling out a large knife and stabbing her as she lay on the floor.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, while the teenage girl was treated in hospital for leg injuries.

After the attack, Mahmood, who has a history of mental health issues, handed himself into police with the knife in his waistband. He was later charged over Ms Dowling’s death.

The post-mortem examination gave the victim’s cause of death is as ‘multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen’.

In total, Ms Dowling, 36, was stabbed eight times with some of the wounds being up to 18cm deep with one blow severing part of her heart.

A family tribute to Ms Dowling at the time read: "She was outgoing, kind-hearted, generous, and had time for everyone. Her door was always open, her home was filled with visitors, and her kettle was always just boiled.

"Tamby will leave a huge hole and massive impact on all the family. She touched the lives of countless people - the hole she has left will never be filled and our hearts are broken."

Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe, of our Serious Crime Division, said: "Our thoughts are with Tamby's family and friends, and can only hope today's sentence brings some comfort to them.

"This is a horrific example of violence against women and girls and we are absolutely committed to tackling violence against women and girls - if anyone thinks they are in danger or at the risk of violence, they should always call the police."

More details on our plan to tackle violence against women and girls can be found here: violence-against-women-and-girls-plan-on-a-page.pdf (gmp.police.uk).

For more details and information about domestic violence, visit: Advice about domestic abuse | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk).

Clare's Law

If you have concerns about a new partner, or you are a worried parent, neighbour or friend who has concerns that someone may be a victim of domestic abuse, you can make an application to the ‘Clare's Law’ scheme here: Request information under Clare's Law: Make a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) application | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)

The scheme involves running checks on an individual to see if they have a record of offences relating to domestic abuse, or there is information to indicate that any new partners may be at risk so the applicant can make an informed choice about the relationship.