Wife Killer Gets 10 Years for Stealing $4 Million to Fuel Gambling Habit

Posted on: September 30, 2020, 10:46h. 

Last updated on: September 30, 2020, 11:56h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

An Australian man who is currently serving a minimum of 23 years in a Perth prison for killing his wife has been sentenced to another ten years for fleecing victims of more than $6 million to feed his chaotic gambling habit. But the sentences will run concurrently, meaning Ahmed Seedat will not serve any additional time for his financial crimes.

Ahmed Seedat
Ahmed Seedat (right) was convicted of murdering his wife, Fahima Yusuf (left). He also defrauded dozens of people who had come to him for financial advice. (Image: Facebook via Newshub.co.nz)

Ahmed Seedat was convicted of murdering his wife, Fahima Yusuf, in August 2018. He killed her by hitting her repeatedly with a wheel brace before burying her in a shallow grave in the backyard while their children, aged two and five, slept.

Carefully Planned

At his murder trial, the court heard Seedat claim his wife had been emotionally abusive towards him, and on the night of the murder, had been “sexually aggressive towards him.” But prosecutors argued he had been planning his wife’s murder for several weeks because he wanted to be with her sister, who was oblivious to his feelings.

Seedat had enlisted the services of a landscape gardener to dig a hole just days earlier, explaining he planned to install a swimming pool for his kids.

Meanwhile, investigators found incriminating internet searches, including  “burying a cat,” “cremating a body,” “burying someone aliv [sic],” and, “Can you marry brother in law if sister dead, muslim [sic].”

Seedat told police that his wife’s last words to him while he bludgeoned her head were, “I love you.”

31 Victims

This week, Seedat appeared from prison via video link to answer 97 charges related to fraud and the theft of AU$5,877,049.19 ($4.16 million USD) from 31 different victims.

Much of the money had been obtained over a period of five years by forging trust fund documents and presenting false portfolio evaluations to investors. It was done in his capacity as head of an accountancy and financial management firm.

Seedat had told police he was a “high roller” who bet hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, primarily on horse racing, and had lost $3 million of his own money, as well as that of his victims.

The judge said there was no realistic chance of any of those Seedat defrauded of “seeing one red cent” of their money because of his “gross breach of trust”.

“The collapse of your financial circumstances and the squandering of millions as a result of your gambling was a significant factor in your personal circumstances leading to you killing your wife,” said the judge.