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| Shafilea Ahmed's sister denies lying to implicate her parents in murder | Shafilea Ahmed's sister denies lying to implicate her parents in murder |
| (10 months later) | |
| The sister of Shafilea Ahmed, whose parents are on trial for murder, told a court on Wednesday she was not lying and making up a "wicked story" to implicate them in her sister's death. | The sister of Shafilea Ahmed, whose parents are on trial for murder, told a court on Wednesday she was not lying and making up a "wicked story" to implicate them in her sister's death. |
| Alesha Ahmed, 23, had told Chester crown court that she and her siblings witnessed her parents jointly holding down her sister, forcing a carrier bag into her mouth and holding their hands over her face after an argument Shafilea had had with her mother about western clothing. | Alesha Ahmed, 23, had told Chester crown court that she and her siblings witnessed her parents jointly holding down her sister, forcing a carrier bag into her mouth and holding their hands over her face after an argument Shafilea had had with her mother about western clothing. |
| Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, a taxi driver, and Farzana Ahmed, 49, from Warrington, Cheshire, deny murdering Shafilea, 17, at the family home in September 2003. Her remains were found near a flooded river in Cumbria five months later. | Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, a taxi driver, and Farzana Ahmed, 49, from Warrington, Cheshire, deny murdering Shafilea, 17, at the family home in September 2003. Her remains were found near a flooded river in Cumbria five months later. |
| Alesha Ahmed admitted that she had initially lied to police over her role in organising a robbery at the family's house in August 2010. She has pleaded guilty to robbery and will be sentenced later. | Alesha Ahmed admitted that she had initially lied to police over her role in organising a robbery at the family's house in August 2010. She has pleaded guilty to robbery and will be sentenced later. |
| Tom Bayliss QC, defending Iftikhar Ahmed, asked whether, after the robbery, "you had a conversion to telling the truth?" She replied: "Yes." | Tom Bayliss QC, defending Iftikhar Ahmed, asked whether, after the robbery, "you had a conversion to telling the truth?" She replied: "Yes." |
| He went on: "You knew you could buy yourself out of trouble by making up a wicked story about your parents." | He went on: "You knew you could buy yourself out of trouble by making up a wicked story about your parents." |
| Alesha Ahmed, giving evidence from behind a screen, replied: "I don't think the police are stupid enough to go on a story if they haven't got any evidence." | Alesha Ahmed, giving evidence from behind a screen, replied: "I don't think the police are stupid enough to go on a story if they haven't got any evidence." |
| Bayliss asked: "You spoke out about Shafilea's murder because you'd been caught red-handed for the robbery?" She replied: "That's not why I told." | Bayliss asked: "You spoke out about Shafilea's murder because you'd been caught red-handed for the robbery?" She replied: "That's not why I told." |
| Bayliss suggested to her that, during the police interview when she was arrested for staging the robbery, "you played your trump card, didn't you? And decided to tell the police it was your parents who killed your sister. And you say your mum and dad set it up [the robbery] to frame you." She replied: "Yes." | Bayliss suggested to her that, during the police interview when she was arrested for staging the robbery, "you played your trump card, didn't you? And decided to tell the police it was your parents who killed your sister. And you say your mum and dad set it up [the robbery] to frame you." She replied: "Yes." |
| When asked if the suggestion that her parents had organised the robbery and were framing her had been a lie, she said: "Yes." | When asked if the suggestion that her parents had organised the robbery and were framing her had been a lie, she said: "Yes." |
| Bayliss said: "You, Alesha Ahmed, tell lies to get yourself out of trouble. You tell lies about your family." Referring specifically to the robbery, she replied: "On that occasion, yes." | Bayliss said: "You, Alesha Ahmed, tell lies to get yourself out of trouble. You tell lies about your family." Referring specifically to the robbery, she replied: "On that occasion, yes." |
| She admitted at the time telling her father that she needed money, "but I didn't tell him why". | She admitted at the time telling her father that she needed money, "but I didn't tell him why". |
| Repeatedly questioned about the identity of the robbers, she said she did not know who they were at the time but "later came to find out they were from Birmingham". | Repeatedly questioned about the identity of the robbers, she said she did not know who they were at the time but "later came to find out they were from Birmingham". |
| Ahmed told the court she had been "open and honest" about her role in the robbery and had pleaded guilty. Bayliss said: "The next day during the [police] interview you lied continuously, didn't you?" She replied: "Yes." | Ahmed told the court she had been "open and honest" about her role in the robbery and had pleaded guilty. Bayliss said: "The next day during the [police] interview you lied continuously, didn't you?" She replied: "Yes." |
| She admitted removing a sim card from her mobile phone after the robbery, snapping it in half and flushing it down a toilet. | She admitted removing a sim card from her mobile phone after the robbery, snapping it in half and flushing it down a toilet. |
| The court had heard that Shafilea's parents did not want her to return to Great Sankey high school because they disapproved of her friends there. Bayliss suggested there was no pressure from their parents for Shafilea not to go back to that school, and that the reason was "because [Shafilea] didn't want to be put back a year". | The court had heard that Shafilea's parents did not want her to return to Great Sankey high school because they disapproved of her friends there. Bayliss suggested there was no pressure from their parents for Shafilea not to go back to that school, and that the reason was "because [Shafilea] didn't want to be put back a year". |
| Ahmed replied: "No. At the time I was basically covering up everything my parents had done. | Ahmed replied: "No. At the time I was basically covering up everything my parents had done. |
| "I felt torn," she said, beginning to sob. "At the end of the day it's not a win-win situation. I've got my sister on one side who's dead. And my parents whom I care about." | "I felt torn," she said, beginning to sob. "At the end of the day it's not a win-win situation. I've got my sister on one side who's dead. And my parents whom I care about." |
| Bayliss said the reason she felt "torn" was "because you are not telling the truth." She replied: "No, I feel torn because they are my parents." | Bayliss said the reason she felt "torn" was "because you are not telling the truth." She replied: "No, I feel torn because they are my parents." |
| Earlier, she said: "Even now I can't make sense of how it came about and who was truly involved in the robbery." At the time of the robbery, she was not in a good mental state, she said. | Earlier, she said: "Even now I can't make sense of how it came about and who was truly involved in the robbery." At the time of the robbery, she was not in a good mental state, she said. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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