UK,
NOV 29: A MOTHER-of-six was murdered by a son-in-law and her body
then cut up at her Lancashire home, it has been claimed.
The remains of Zainab Begum were then transferred to takeaway shop
premises, but have never been discovered, Preston Crown Court was
told.
A palm print in the blood of the 56 years old woman is said to
have been made by her alleged killer Muhammed Arshad at the house
on Burnley Road, Accrington.
Arshad, aged 37, of Middleton Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, has
gone on trial accused of murdering Mrs Begum in January this year,
a charge he denies.
His brother Mohammed Khan, also 37 and of Middleton Road,
Crumpsall has pleaded not guilty to assisting in the disposal of
her body.
The Crown allege that Mrs Begum was murdered on 13 January this
year by Arshad. She was never seen again after seeing her youngest
daughter off to school that day.
Her body has never been found, but at her home scientists found
splatterings of blood and a hand print made in blood. It is
suggested that it was Arshad's handprint in her blood.
Pakistan born Mrs Begum, a mother of six daughters, was separated
from her second husband. Arshad had married one of her daughters
in that country, in December 2001. Khan had also married one of
her daughters.
Arshad had arrived in England in May 2002. For a time, the first
defendant and his wife had lived at the Burnley Road address which
was put up for sale.
But several days before her disappearance, Mrs Begum had moved
back there, from Crumpsall and Arshad had gone to live with his
brother in Manchester. She had decided to take her property off
the market.
Mr David Turner, QC prosecuting, told the court “The prosecution
say the first defendant murdered her in her own home, dismembered
her body and then together with his brother, the second defendant,
took the dismembered body wrapped in bags to a takeaway restaurant
which they jointly ran in Accrington.”
Mrs Begum's blood was found at the Millennium takeaway premises on
Church Street, Accrington. When the shop was examined by
scientists it was suggested that body parts had been stored behind
the bar on the first floor, before being taken down to the
kitchen.
Mr Turner told the jury “In the kitchen the blood trail stops.
What happened to the body afterwards is known only by the two
defendants, who together disposed of her body to ensure that no
traces of that woman would ever be found,” he alleged.
The two brothers had been working at the Millennium takeaway for
some time, planning to take over the business that month. Arshad
worked there part time, but had a full time job at Holland Pies'
Accrington factory.
The pizza takeaway has since been taken over by someone else and
renamed.
The prosecution say it is highly likely that Mrs Begum was
attacked in a bedroom at Burnley Road and her body dragged into
the bathroom.
The blooded palm print was found at the top of the stairs. When
DNA tested, it matched her profile. Arshad's blood was also
discovered at the address.
Following his arrest two weeks later Arshad told police in his
sixth police interview that he had killed Zainab Begum. He put
forward what the Crown claim was a “lieing and totally unlikely”
scenario that his mother-in-law had made sexual advances to him
and he had thrown her off, onto a mattress.
He suggested she banged her head on a wall at the house. He
noticed blood coming from her nose and on checking her pulse,
found she was dead.
Arshad went on to tell the police that he had tried to dismember
her body and poured caustic soda over it. He also said the body
parts were transferred to the takeaway and later taken to his
address in Crumpsall.
The defendant also alleged that the remains were taken in bags and
deposited in bins at the back of various Indian takeaways in the
Rusholme area.
But Mr Turner added “It is the professional opinion of the experts
consulted by the police that this could not be done using domestic
caustic soda alone in the time suggested. There is little support,
suggest the prosecution, that there were body parts in Crumpsall.”
The trial continues and is expected to last two weeks.
(Accrington Observer, UK) |