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Leicester explosion: Three men guilty of murdering five people Leicester explosion: Three men guilty of murdering five people
(about 3 hours later)
Three men have been found guilty of murdering five people, including a mother and her two sons, in an explosion at a shop. Three men who blew up a shop in a £300,000 insurance scam have been found guilty of murdering five people.
The blast destroyed a supermarket and the flat above where a family lived on Hinckley Road, Leicester, in February. A mother and her two sons were among those killed in the "bomb-like" blast which destroyed the supermarket in Hinckley Road, Leicester, in February.
The men caused the explosion in order to make about £300,000 in an insurance scam, Leicester Crown Court heard. Aram Kurd, Hawkar Hassan and Arkan Ali caused the explosion when they set alight "many, many litres of petrol" in the basement of the Polish store.
Aram Kurd, Hawkar Hassan and Arkan Ali had denied five counts of murder in addition to conspiracy to commit fraud. They had denied five counts of murder and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The killers had lit 26 litres of petrol in the basement of the Polish shop Zabka, Leicestershire Police said. Mary Ragoobar, 46, and sons Shane Ragoobeer, 18, and Sean, 17, lived above the shop and were at home at the time of the "devastating" explosion on 25 February.
Shane Ragoobeer, 18, his 17-year-old brother Sean, Shane's girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, and the brothers' mother, Mary Ragoobar, 46, were in the flat when the explosion occurred at about 19:00 GMT on 25 February. Shane's girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, and shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, were also killed.
In a statement read out following the verdicts, Jose Ragoobeer said he and his family's lives would "never be the same" and his wife of 22 years was "our rock".
Mr Ragoobeer said: "Not a day goes by when we don't think about Mary, Shane and Sean."
Molly Reek said of her sister Leah: "She was an amazing, inspirational young lady who was just starting out in her life adventure. Leah made a lasting impression on everyone who was lucky enough to know her."
Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, was working in the shop at the time of the blast and was also killed.
The five-week trial was told the defendants left Ms Ijevleva to die because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier.
The investigation led police to trawl through more than 700 hours of CCTV footage, and examine more than 2,500 exhibits, 1,000 witness statements and 4,000 different lines of inquiry.
Footage examined by officers showed cameras being moved in the days before the explosion, and people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the blast, with rubble landing on the road as cars passed by.
During the trial, jurors heard how Scotty Ragoobeer, who was 15 at the time, survived because he was dug out of the rubble by police and members of the public just before the blast site was engulfed by flames.During the trial, jurors heard how Scotty Ragoobeer, who was 15 at the time, survived because he was dug out of the rubble by police and members of the public just before the blast site was engulfed by flames.
Prosecutor David Herbert QC told jurors: "The explosion and the fire that followed was deliberately caused by these defendants who intended to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop." Prosecutor David Herbert QC told jurors the defendants deliberately caused the explosion, intending "to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop."
Ali, 38, of Drake Close in Oldham; 33-year-old Hassan, of Eld Road in Coventry; and Kurd, 34, of Hillary Place in Leicester, are due to be sentenced on 18 January. A five-week trial heard the defendants left Ms Ijevleva to die because she was aware of an insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier.
The jury took just over 11 hours to find them guilty on all counts. Mr Herbert said the trio "thought she knew too much and decided to leave her to die in the explosion that they created".
Jurors, who took just over 11 hours to find the trio guilty on all counts, were shown CCTV footage of people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion.
In the video, released by police after the trial, rubble can be seen flying into the road as cars pass by.
Further footage recovered from a neighbouring business's camera showed Ali in shot three days before the blast - moments before the camera angle was changed.
Images taken from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera again - at a time when all three defendants were nearby.
Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop.
In a statement read outside the court after the verdicts, Jose Ragoobeer said he and his family's lives would "never be the same".
He described his wife of 22 years as "our rock", adding: "Not a day goes by when we don't think about Mary, Shane and Sean."
Molly Reek said of her sister Leah: "She was an amazing, inspirational young lady who was just starting out in her life adventure. Leah made a lasting impression on everyone who was lucky enough to know her."
Ali, 38, of Drake Close, Oldham, 33-year-old Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, and Kurd, 34, of Hillary Place, Leicester, are due to be sentenced on 18 January.
They were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to dishonestly pursue an insurance claim in respect of the fire.
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