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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Man convicted of murdering family | Man convicted of murdering family |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| A man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his wife and three children. | |
| Rahan Arshad, 36, beat his family to death with a rounders bat at their home in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, before fleeing to Thailand last July. | |
| The bodies of Uzma Rahan, 32, and children Adam, 11, Abbas, eight, and Henna, six, were not found for a month. | The bodies of Uzma Rahan, 32, and children Adam, 11, Abbas, eight, and Henna, six, were not found for a month. |
| The court was told Arshad was motivated by jealousy after discovering his wife was having an affair. | |
| Arshad, of Turves Road, had denied four counts of murder but was convicted by a jury at Manchester Crown Court. | Arshad, of Turves Road, had denied four counts of murder but was convicted by a jury at Manchester Crown Court. |
| They did not believe the taxi driver's claim he had killed his wife after arriving home to find she had bludgeoned their children. | |
| Mr Justice David Clarke sentenced Arshad to life imprisonment and said that in this case, life "meant life". | Mr Justice David Clarke sentenced Arshad to life imprisonment and said that in this case, life "meant life". |
| The only time he has ever shown any remorse for what he did was when he first got off the plane from Thailand Det Supt Martin Bottomley | The only time he has ever shown any remorse for what he did was when he first got off the plane from Thailand Det Supt Martin Bottomley |
| Uzma's mother and two brothers were in the public gallery beside friends and other relatives as the verdicts came in. | Uzma's mother and two brothers were in the public gallery beside friends and other relatives as the verdicts came in. |
| Her brother, Rahat Ali, shouted "Yes" as the jury convicted Arshad. | |
| Describing the murders as "brutal and horrific", the judge said Arshad had been convicted on "overwhelming evidence" | Describing the murders as "brutal and horrific", the judge said Arshad had been convicted on "overwhelming evidence" |
| "You killed your entire family in circumstances of great brutality," said Mr Justice Clarke. | "You killed your entire family in circumstances of great brutality," said Mr Justice Clarke. |
| "You beat your wife to death in her bedroom and then coldly and deliberately you brought your sleepy children downstairs to meet their deaths. | "You beat your wife to death in her bedroom and then coldly and deliberately you brought your sleepy children downstairs to meet their deaths. |
| "There is no suggestion of mental illness on your part. Life imprisonment in your case means life." | "There is no suggestion of mental illness on your part. Life imprisonment in your case means life." |
| During his trial, the jury heard how Arshad battered Uzma with more than 23 blows in their bedroom before beating his children to death in their playroom. | During his trial, the jury heard how Arshad battered Uzma with more than 23 blows in their bedroom before beating his children to death in their playroom. |
| Their bodies were so badly decomposed that police needed dental records to confirm their identities. | Their bodies were so badly decomposed that police needed dental records to confirm their identities. |
| He had planned the murders in advance, buying the rounders bat the day before and booking his ticket to Thailand more than two weeks earlier. | He had planned the murders in advance, buying the rounders bat the day before and booking his ticket to Thailand more than two weeks earlier. |
| Police found the decomposed bodies on 20 August 2006. | Police found the decomposed bodies on 20 August 2006. |
| Their bodies were in the house for almost a month | Their bodies were in the house for almost a month |
| After detectives tracked him down in Thailand, he confessed to their murders moments after he was flown back to the UK. | After detectives tracked him down in Thailand, he confessed to their murders moments after he was flown back to the UK. |
| When arrested he told officers: "I confess to the murder. My beautiful kids, I don't regret killing that bitch, but my kids, killing my kids..." | When arrested he told officers: "I confess to the murder. My beautiful kids, I don't regret killing that bitch, but my kids, killing my kids..." |
| But he later refused to answer police questions, claiming his wife had beaten the children to death and he had killed her. | |
| Speaking after the hearing, Det Supt Martin Bottomley, who led the investigation, said: "This is one of the most brutal and devastating murders I have ever dealt with. | Speaking after the hearing, Det Supt Martin Bottomley, who led the investigation, said: "This is one of the most brutal and devastating murders I have ever dealt with. |
| "Many of us have children, which makes the brutality he used to kill his own children even harder to comprehend. | "Many of us have children, which makes the brutality he used to kill his own children even harder to comprehend. |
| "The only time he has ever shown any remorse for what he did was when he first got off the plane from Thailand. | "The only time he has ever shown any remorse for what he did was when he first got off the plane from Thailand. |
| "We will probably never know why Arshad committed this awful crime, unless he chooses to tell us." | "We will probably never know why Arshad committed this awful crime, unless he chooses to tell us." |
| Family's ordeal | |
| Mr Bottomley then read a statement on behalf of Uzma's brother, Rahat Ali, and the rest of her family. | |
| It read: "No one can heal the grief we have suffered. Uzma was my best friend, our beloved sister and beautiful daughter. | |
| "My mother can't understand how he could destroy them. | |
| "This should be a peaceful time for my mum but instead she's been forced to suffer an unthinkable ordeal. | |
| "I am glad this man will never get out of prison. The judge made a brilliant decision. A person like this should never be freed." |