In 2010 Aya Hachem’s family fled war-torn Lebanon to seek a safer life elsewhere. The family made the decision after Ismail Hachem had been struck by a bullet in crossfire while serving in the army during conflict.
Mr Hachem travelled with his wife and three children more than 5,000km to the UK. He hoped that the country would provide peace and stability for his young family.
This all changed in May 2019 when his oldest daughter, Aya, was gunned down in a bitter feud between rival car tyre firms in Blackburn. She was only 19 years old when she was shot, LancsLive reports.
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The Hachem family settled in Blackburn after travelling around the UK as refugees. It was a place the Hachem family felt safe, far away from the bloodshed of their homeland.
Soon Aya and her siblings settled into education and began working towards a brighter future, and the family welcomed another child. The oldest daughter of the family, Aya rarely spoke of the trauma she had endured in Lebanon, but as a bright student who was awarded Student of the Year at Blackburn Central High School in 2016, she hoped to use her talents to support victims and the persecuted.
She began studying law at Salford University aged 18, hoping to specialise in international law. Her dad told her she would be prime minister one day - a dream he and Aya believed would come true.
"Aya was our shining star and always made us smile", said Ismail. The young student was appointed as the youngest ever trustee of the Children's Society and hoped to make the world a better place. She was also heavily involved in Blackburn's asylum seeking community.
However, on May 17, as she joined Muslims across the world in marking Ramadan, she was murdered in cold blood as she walked to a local shop to buy food to break the fast. Her mother, Samar, had asked her to go to LIdl to buy lettuce - a simple, everyday task which cost Aya her life.
A bullet, fired from a Toyota Avensis, struck Aya as she walked down King Street, passing through her body before becoming embedded in a telegraph pole. She fell to the ground and died almost instantly.
In a victim impact statement, Aya's mum spoke of the distress she feels at asking Aya to run an errand for her that day. She said: "On that day I had sent her to get groceries during Ramadan, how can I live with that?
“How can I continue with life, a life full of emptiness. They have taken my soul and crushed it into pieces.”
On Friday May 5, 2020, Lewis Junior Otway became the eighth person to be jailed for life for his role in Aya's murder, and the botched plot to kill car wash owner Pashah Khan.
Her 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 Gods 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 Charities including the Children’s Society and fundraising at Salford University where you were studying to become a barrister.
"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."
The family thanked the police and legal teams who worked to secure justice over the three years since Aya was killed.
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