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| Husband jailed for life over Rania Alayed murder | Husband jailed for life over Rania Alayed murder |
| (14 days later) | |
| A man who lured his wife to her death and then wore her clothing to convince her family and friends she was alive has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. | A man who lured his wife to her death and then wore her clothing to convince her family and friends she was alive has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. |
| Ahmed al-Khatib put on her jeans and headscarf and then carried her corpse in a suitcase less than a hour after she dropped their children off at his brother's flat in Salford, Greater Manchester, on 7 June last year. | Ahmed al-Khatib put on her jeans and headscarf and then carried her corpse in a suitcase less than a hour after she dropped their children off at his brother's flat in Salford, Greater Manchester, on 7 June last year. |
| The body of Rania Alayed, 25, was then driven to the North Yorkshire area where it was buried. Police have yet to find the body of the Syrian-born mother-of-three despite numerous searches. | The body of Rania Alayed, 25, was then driven to the North Yorkshire area where it was buried. Police have yet to find the body of the Syrian-born mother-of-three despite numerous searches. |
| Khatib, 35, was on Wednesday convicted by a jury of her murder and sentenced to life. | Khatib, 35, was on Wednesday convicted by a jury of her murder and sentenced to life. |
| He admitted killing her but he claimed he pushed her to the floor and she banged her head after she appeared to him in the form of an evil spirit. | He admitted killing her but he claimed he pushed her to the floor and she banged her head after she appeared to him in the form of an evil spirit. |
| Manchester crown court heard the marriage was "marred by violence" and that Alayed, originally from the Middlesbrough area, left him after years of serious domestic violence. | Manchester crown court heard the marriage was "marred by violence" and that Alayed, originally from the Middlesbrough area, left him after years of serious domestic violence. |
| She feared for her life and had sought help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, the police and eventually a solicitor which angered her husband's family. | She feared for her life and had sought help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, the police and eventually a solicitor which angered her husband's family. |
| The defendant's brother Muhaned al-Khatib, 38, said he was not present at the time that any violence was used against Alayed in his flat in Arthur Millwood Court and did not bear any responsibility for her murder. | The defendant's brother Muhaned al-Khatib, 38, said he was not present at the time that any violence was used against Alayed in his flat in Arthur Millwood Court and did not bear any responsibility for her murder. |
| He was cleared by the jury of that charge. | He was cleared by the jury of that charge. |
| Both he and Ahmed Al-Khatib, of Gorton, had pleaded guilty to intending to pervert the course of justice by transporting and concealing the body of Alayed. | Both he and Ahmed Al-Khatib, of Gorton, had pleaded guilty to intending to pervert the course of justice by transporting and concealing the body of Alayed. |
| A third brother, Hussain al-Khatib, 34, also of Gorton, was found guilty by the jury of intending to pervert the course of justice. | A third brother, Hussain al-Khatib, 34, also of Gorton, was found guilty by the jury of intending to pervert the course of justice. |
| Muhaned al-Khatib was jailed for three years, while Hussain al-Khatib was imprisoned for four years. | Muhaned al-Khatib was jailed for three years, while Hussain al-Khatib was imprisoned for four years. |
| Opening the case, Tony Cross QC, prosecuting, said Ahmed al-Khatib said he had been "commanded" to bury his wife by the djinn, a demonic spirit in Islamic folklore, but the crown rejected his defence of diminished responsibility as lies. | Opening the case, Tony Cross QC, prosecuting, said Ahmed al-Khatib said he had been "commanded" to bury his wife by the djinn, a demonic spirit in Islamic folklore, but the crown rejected his defence of diminished responsibility as lies. |
| The defendant said he went on to bury her between trees near to the A19 in Thirsk. | The defendant said he went on to bury her between trees near to the A19 in Thirsk. |
| He had lured his wife to her death on the pretence that she would drop off their children at the home of his brother to spend the weekend with him. | He had lured his wife to her death on the pretence that she would drop off their children at the home of his brother to spend the weekend with him. |
| Her brother-in-law left the address with the children some 45 minutes later and shortly after her husband walked out wearing her clothing. Alayed's body was in a suitcase which was later moved to Muhaned al-Khatib's motorhome, which travelled towards the North East in the early hours of the next day. | Her brother-in-law left the address with the children some 45 minutes later and shortly after her husband walked out wearing her clothing. Alayed's body was in a suitcase which was later moved to Muhaned al-Khatib's motorhome, which travelled towards the North East in the early hours of the next day. |
| The jury was told that telephone, Facebook and message services were deployed to pretend to others that Alayed was still alive. | The jury was told that telephone, Facebook and message services were deployed to pretend to others that Alayed was still alive. |
| Ahmed al-Khatib was arrested on 4 July and made no complaint of any mental illness, the court heard. | Ahmed al-Khatib was arrested on 4 July and made no complaint of any mental illness, the court heard. |
| He told police the relationship had been trouble-free until January last year when his wife rang police about a row when he had taken her phone. | He told police the relationship had been trouble-free until January last year when his wife rang police about a row when he had taken her phone. |
| He said he had seen pictures of his wife in underwear. Detectives were told he had not seen her since April and he had tried to contact her 30 times but believed her to be in Turkey or Syria. | He said he had seen pictures of his wife in underwear. Detectives were told he had not seen her since April and he had tried to contact her 30 times but believed her to be in Turkey or Syria. |
| Cross told the jury: "Quite plainly, ladies and gentlemen, the majority of these facts were lies. He knew full well. He had killed her." | Cross told the jury: "Quite plainly, ladies and gentlemen, the majority of these facts were lies. He knew full well. He had killed her." |
| The next day, Muhaned Al-Khatib told police that Alayed was not alive and she was buried at the side of a layby on the A19. | The next day, Muhaned Al-Khatib told police that Alayed was not alive and she was buried at the side of a layby on the A19. |
| He denied helping his brother to bury her or murder her and said he had not seen her body. | He denied helping his brother to bury her or murder her and said he had not seen her body. |
| The court heard he agreed to show police where her grave was but the location could not be found. | The court heard he agreed to show police where her grave was but the location could not be found. |
| Greater Manchester Police said the search for Alayed's body goes on. | Greater Manchester Police said the search for Alayed's body goes on. |
| So far, GMP have scoured a number of lay-bys on a 15-mile stretch of the A19 with the assistance of North Yorkshire police and the military. | So far, GMP have scoured a number of lay-bys on a 15-mile stretch of the A19 with the assistance of North Yorkshire police and the military. |
| Following today's sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Reade, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "Rania was a young mother-of-three with everything to live for. | Following today's sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Reade, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "Rania was a young mother-of-three with everything to live for. |
| "She was beginning to put an abusive and violent relationship behind her and had genuine cause to be optimistic for the future. | "She was beginning to put an abusive and violent relationship behind her and had genuine cause to be optimistic for the future. |
| "But at the point, when she thought she might be able to create a better life for her and her children – free of the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of Al-Khatib – her husband snatched it all away in the cruellest and most despicable way possible. | "But at the point, when she thought she might be able to create a better life for her and her children – free of the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of Al-Khatib – her husband snatched it all away in the cruellest and most despicable way possible. |
| "Invited to a neutral meeting place, he murdered her in cold blood while her children were in the next room. We might never know whether they heard or saw anything of their mother's last movements. | "Invited to a neutral meeting place, he murdered her in cold blood while her children were in the next room. We might never know whether they heard or saw anything of their mother's last movements. |
| "To deprive his own children of their mother is both sickening and chilling in the extreme. To later attempt to justify the killing by claiming a djinn was about to attack him is both insulting to Rania's memory and counter to all the evidence of a pre-planned honour-killing. | "To deprive his own children of their mother is both sickening and chilling in the extreme. To later attempt to justify the killing by claiming a djinn was about to attack him is both insulting to Rania's memory and counter to all the evidence of a pre-planned honour-killing. |
| "And, make no mistake, this was an honour killing. Honour-based violence is committed to protect or defend the 'honour' of a family and/or community, usually against young women, where they have acted outside perceived acceptable female behaviour patterns. | "And, make no mistake, this was an honour killing. Honour-based violence is committed to protect or defend the 'honour' of a family and/or community, usually against young women, where they have acted outside perceived acceptable female behaviour patterns. |
| "Al-Khatib's murderous actions were motivated by his outrage and jealousy that Rania would attempt to take control of her own life and live a more westernised life, after suffering years of abuse at his hands. | "Al-Khatib's murderous actions were motivated by his outrage and jealousy that Rania would attempt to take control of her own life and live a more westernised life, after suffering years of abuse at his hands. |
| "His male 'pride' clearly couldn't take a strong woman trying to determine her own fate, so he carried out one final act that would ensure she could never defy him again. | "His male 'pride' clearly couldn't take a strong woman trying to determine her own fate, so he carried out one final act that would ensure she could never defy him again. |
| "The irony is that this horrific act of self-pity has brought nothing but shame on him and his family. | "The irony is that this horrific act of self-pity has brought nothing but shame on him and his family. |
| "He has also told a catalogue of lies to wriggle out of his date with justice, which has not only created a considerable amount of additional work for detectives, but also prolonged the agony of Rania's family and has prevented us finding her body. | "He has also told a catalogue of lies to wriggle out of his date with justice, which has not only created a considerable amount of additional work for detectives, but also prolonged the agony of Rania's family and has prevented us finding her body. |
| "We continue to employ the most hi-tech methods to search for her and we will not stop until we find her and she can be given the dignified burial she deserves." | "We continue to employ the most hi-tech methods to search for her and we will not stop until we find her and she can be given the dignified burial she deserves." |