One man has been convicted of murder and a second found not guilty of all charges relating to the killing of student Aya Hachem.
Following a trial, jurors at Preston Crown Court found Louis 'Junior' Otway, 42, of Clitheroe Road, Manchester, guilty of the murder of Aya and the attempted murder of Pachach Khan. Suhayl Suleman, 38, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, was found not guilty of the same charges.
Aya, 19, was gunned down in a botched shooting on the forecourt of RI Tyres, Blackburn, at 3pm on Sunday, May 17, 2020. The Salford University student was on her way to a local shop to buy food for her family when a stray bullet, intended for Pascha Khan, struck her, LancsLive reports.
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During the trial, the jury heard of a feud between the Suleman brothers, Sohayl and Feroz, who ran RI Tyres and Mr Khan, who ran the neighbouring business premises Quick Shine carwash. After an escalation of business rivalries saw premises targeted, Otway was hired to organise a hit on Mr Khan, the jury was told.
Seven others who were involved in the conspiracy were previously jailed for their roles. Feroz Suleman, Zamir Raja, Anthony Ennis, Ayaz Hussain, Abubakr Satia, Uthman Satia and Kashif Manzoor were all jailed after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder in a trial last year. Uthman Satia's girlfriend, Judy Chapman, was also jailed after being convicted of manslaughter.
In the weeks before the shooting, Otway travelled to Blackburn to meet with Ayaz Hussain, who was the link between Blackburn and Manchester. Otway recruited gunman Zamir Raja and driver Anthony Ennis to carry out the hit, with others playing vital roles in the arrangements.
Throughout the trial, Otway insisted he was nothing to do with the plot to kill Pascha Khan and was in Manchester at the time of the shooting. He denied being the man referred to as 'J' in a series of text messages, in which Feroz Suleman spoke of 'J's boys' stepping into the feud.
However the jury accepted the prosecution case that he was a top tier conspirator in the shooting and found him unanimously guilty of murder and attempted murder. He will be sentenced to life when he returns to court to be sentenced on May 5.
After being cleared of all charges, Sohayl Suleman was allowed to leave the dock. In a statement Aya’s family said: “We thank God for the justice that has been served today.
“To our dear beautiful angel in heaven we know you are in a better and more beautiful place. God chose you from amongst many and blessed you with martyrdom.
“We are so proud of you and we miss you so much – our lives are difficult without you. This is God’s decree and praise be to God for this. You will remain in our hearts forever.
“You loved life and despite all the struggles and barriers that we faced in this country it did not stop you contributing to your community and Charites including the Children’s Society and fundraising at Salford University where you were studying to become a barrister. You have been awarded your certificate posthumously and your name is now on the Law Society’s roll of solicitors.
“God chose you as an Angel in his heaven. Heaven is yours and may God give us the patience after your murder. We love you.
“We thank Detective Inspector Ian Moore and his team of dedicated police officers who worked so hard to build a strong case against the defendant who has been convicted today.
“Also, to the Crown Prosecution Service, represented by Mr. Cray KC who has presented our case so diligently
“We also thank Mr Justice Jacobs, who managed the court proceedings with confidence and wisdom.
!We offer thanks to the jury for their time and effort to listen for four weeks and to distinguish truth from falsehood, lies and honesty.
“Special thanks to the community of Blackburn including the many families that have offered their support in this difficult time.”
Det Insp Ian Moore, of the Lancashire Constabulary's Force Major Investigation Team, said: “Aya Hachem was a young woman whose life – so full of promise – was brutally and tragically cut short on that May afternoon and my thoughts today are first and foremost with her family and loved ones.
“Louis Otway played a key role in organising the plot to kill Pachah Khan, the bungled execution of which resulted in Aya’s murder, and I would like to thank the jury and the prosecution team for ensuring that he too has been convicted along with those found guilty last year.
“I hope that this offers Aya’s family some sense that we have achieved justice for her and that this shows that Lancashire Constabulary will never give up in our tenacious approach to putting those who commit these atrocious crimes before the courts."
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