Murder victim Seema Banu made a video on the night she and her two children were killed in which she displayed a “proclamation” claiming her husband had previously done no wrong.
The shocking video was shown for the first time during the second day of the inquest into the deaths of Ms Banu and her children Asfira (11) Faizan (6) at their home in Llewelyn Court, Rathfarnham in October 2020.
In the video Ms Banu appears to recant previous claims that her husband Sameer Syed assaulted her and claims “I strangled myself. I felt like dying on that day. I couldn’t understand what I am doing to myself.”
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She also declared it was her “last statement” and that she and her daughter had prepared it.
The statement was signed and had a thumb impression on it.
Her daughter Asfira is also seen in the video and declares what her mother is saying is true and claimed “He did not hit her. Dad loves us a lot.”
However today Dublin’s coronor’s court heard that gardai later determined the letter had been penned days prior and digital evidence showed that Ms Banu had sent a picture of the statement to her husband on the 16th of October.
Evil Syed, who was living separately to his wife due to the fact that he was on bail for previously assaulting her, was then captured on CCTV travelling to the house he was barred from going near - disguised as a woman.
The chilling footage of him boarding the number 14 bus, disguised as a woman and holding a handbag, was shown before the jury today.
Syed then took all three of their lives before disposing of the women’s clothing, and leaving a bathroom sink on - causing water to leak through the ceiling.
The court later heard that that same letter, which was determined to have been hand-written by her daughter Asfira, was discovered on a bedside locker next to Seema’s body on October 28th.
Gardai told the court that Ms Banu was discovered lying face up on a bed with a scarf tied around her neck - while her children were discovered in another bedroom lying face down, side by side, and also with scarves tied around their necks.
The court was also shown chilling CCTV footage of monster Syed, who murdered all three victims, disguised as a woman - getting onto a bus where he travelled to the house and killed his wife and children in cold blood.
That footage showed Syed, who later admitted it was him, boarding the number 14 bus on the night of October 22, 2020 covering his face with head-wrapping, wearing sunglasses and a long green skirt.
Syed is seen boarding the bus and sitting down - with later footage showing him walking into the Llewelyn estate.
The depraved killer, who appears to have planned his actions by keeping his mobile phone plugged in at a separate address, was also sent the “proclamation” by his wife days before she made the video, the court heard.
Giving evidence before the court, Detective Inspector Vivienne Rock who was the senior investigating officer on the case described how Ms Banu initially sought assistance at Christmas 2018 and she and her husband were brought to a shelter.
She again sought assistance in January and February 2019 and then in April of that year she presented to hospital with injuries inflicted upon her by mobster Syed.
In May she went to India while her husband flew back to Ireland on his own, secured the home in Llewelyn, and was subsequently joined by his wife and children in February 2020.
In May of that year gardai responded to an incident at the house in which Seema was assaulted and left unconscious- and Syed was arrested.
Ms Banu did not make a complaint, the court heard, but evidence was presented to the DPP and Syed was charged with Section 3 assault causing harm.
In obtaining CCTV and other evidence in this case, Det Insp Rock said that gardai were able to determine Sameer had left his mobile phone plugged in and connected to the wi-fi at his address in Grovenor Lodge, Rathmines at 8pm on October 22, 2020 - the night of the deaths, and it remained so until the next day.
However footage showed that Syed had travelled on the 8:05pm bus outbound to Rathfarnham.
In the footage he’s seen wearing a jacket and a dress.
Det Insp stock told the court this was Syed “dressed as a woman” and not in “cultural dress” and said the garments and other items were deposited and later found in the house in Llewelyn.
In interview Syed “conceded that it was him disguised”.
Other CCTV footage shows a figure identified as being Syed walking from the bus into the housing estate - and he took the women’s clothes off before entering the home.
The senior garda said that the letter displayed in the video found on Ms Banu’s phone was discovered on the bedside locker “adjacent” to her body.
Describing the discovery of the children’s bodies in the other room, he said that Asfira was on a double bed near seat to the wall with a “ligature knot” around her neck and a refuse sack under her head.
Forensic evidence on that refuse sack later linked Syed directly to her murder - despite his claims that someone else was responsible.
Her younger brother Faizan meanwhile was lying adjacent to her, he said with a scarf ligature knotted to the rear of his neck.
Seema was lying face up, slightly diagonally and next to the alleged statement penned by her daughter.
The senior garda said that in interview Syed “capitulated and admitted” that he had “ghosted” himself as a woman after it was proven to him both digitally and forensically.
He also admitted to being in the family home when he’d previously claimed he wasn’t - and he admitted to the killing of his wife.
Det Insp Rock said that Syed however “blamed another party” for the murders of his children.
A week before his trial in June 2022 Syed was found dead in custody the court heard.
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