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Aamir Siddiqi: Hitmen Jason Richards, Ben Hope guilty Aamir Siddiqi: Hitmen Jason Richards, Ben Hope guilty
(35 minutes later)
Two bungling hitmen have been found guilty of stabbing to death an innocent student in front of his parents after calling at the wrong address.Two bungling hitmen have been found guilty of stabbing to death an innocent student in front of his parents after calling at the wrong address.
Aamir Siddiqi, 17, was attacked at his Cardiff home by Jason Richards, 38, and Ben Hope, 39, in April 2010.Aamir Siddiqi, 17, was attacked at his Cardiff home by Jason Richards, 38, and Ben Hope, 39, in April 2010.
The jury returned their verdict on the second day of deliberations at Swansea Crown Court. The killers, who will be sentenced next Friday, had been told to kill a different man on a neighbouring street.
The court heard that the murderers had been instructed to kill a different man who lived on a neighbouring street. The Swansea Crown Court jury returned its verdicts on the second day of deliberations.
Hope and Richards both denied murdering Aamir and two separate counts of the attempted murder of his parents, and were convicted unanimously of all charges. Hope and Richards both denied murdering Aamir and two separate counts of the attempted murder of his parents, but were convicted unanimously of all charges.
Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam who was due to give him a Koran lesson. The killers showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered at the end of a four-and-a-half month trial. Aamir's family sat quietly in court.
High on heroin 'Staggering incompetence'
Instead, he opened the front door in Ninian Road, Roath, to two masked killers high on heroin. Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam, who was due to give him a Koran lesson. Instead, he opened the front door in Ninian Road, Roath, to two masked killers high on heroin.
Hope and Richards wielded daggers over their heads and howled as they set upon the helpless A-level student.Hope and Richards wielded daggers over their heads and howled as they set upon the helpless A-level student.
Aamir's father likened the attackers' howling to the sort of noise made in martial arts when an attacker wants to terrify the victim.Aamir's father likened the attackers' howling to the sort of noise made in martial arts when an attacker wants to terrify the victim.
The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house, but they chased him and repeatedly lashing out. The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house, but they chased him and repeatedly lashed out.
The execution of the bungled contract killing was described by the prosecution as an act of "staggering incompetence".The execution of the bungled contract killing was described by the prosecution as an act of "staggering incompetence".
Aamir's elderly parents frantically tried to help their only son. His mother, Parveen, leapt on the back of one of the attackers as he pursued Aamir in the dining room of their home. Aamir's parents frantically tried to help their only son. His mother, Parveen, leapt on the back of one of the attackers as he pursued Aamir in the dining room of their home.
His father, 68-year-old father Sheikh Iqbal Ahmad, tried to pin the other against a wall using his head. Both were stabbed in the process. His father, 68-year-old Sheikh Iqbal Ahmad, tried to pin the other against a wall using his head. Both were stabbed in the process.
Saturated in bloodSaturated in blood
Mr Ahmad later recalled the terror which had unfolded that Sunday and said he could not say how many times they had stabbed Aamir. Mr Ahmad later recalled the terror which unfolded that Sunday and said he could not say how many times they had stabbed Aamir.
He told the police it all happened in seconds and Aamir "didn't say a single word". Police arrived at the scene, tried to save Aamir and administered CPR.He told the police it all happened in seconds and Aamir "didn't say a single word". Police arrived at the scene, tried to save Aamir and administered CPR.
Sergeant Kee Wong told the trial the scene he found was the worst he had come across during his career. Sergeant Kee Wong told the trial the scene he found was the worst he had come across during his career. Aamir's T-shirt was saturated in blood and he counted several wounds on the teenager's body.
Aamir's T-shirt was saturated in blood and he counted several wounds on the teenager's body.
Det Sgt Stuart Wales also told the court it was "the most distressing incident" he had ever had to attend in 17 years of service.Det Sgt Stuart Wales also told the court it was "the most distressing incident" he had ever had to attend in 17 years of service.
"I saw the face of Aamir's mum, she looked absolutely traumatised," he said. "I saw the face of Aamir's mum, she looked absolutely traumatised," he said. "It is still an image quite clear in my mind."
"It is still an image quite clear in my mind." Fellow officer Teresa Sullivan recalled her as "inconsolable". "She just kept shouting 'My son, my son, she wanted to see him,'" she said.
Fellow officer Teresa Sullivan recalled her as "inconsolable".
"She just kept shouting 'My son, my son, she wanted to see him,'" she said.
Appalling endAppalling end
It was an appalling end to what had begun as a "normal lazy Sunday morning", in the words of one of Aamir's sisters, Miriam, who had gone out to get him a takeaway.It was an appalling end to what had begun as a "normal lazy Sunday morning", in the words of one of Aamir's sisters, Miriam, who had gone out to get him a takeaway.
The awful truth was that Aamir's killers were guilty of "staggering incompetence" in carrying out a contract killing on the wrong victim, in the wrong house. The awful truth was that Aamir's killers carried out a contract killing on the wrong victim, in the wrong house.
Richards and Hope had been paid by a businessman, angry over a collapsed property deal, to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street.Richards and Hope had been paid by a businessman, angry over a collapsed property deal, to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street.
But they went instead to a similar looking redbrick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the leafy suburb of Roath Park. But they went instead to a similar looking redbrick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the leafy suburb of Roath Park. The prosecution called it a colossal, fatal mistake for Aamir.
The prosecution called it a colossal, fatal mistake for Aamir. After the murder, a huge manhunt began, and the killers' stolen Volvo car used in the crime was later found abandoned. Traces of Aamir's blood were found in the car's footwell, as were Hope's fingerprints and Richards' DNA.
After the murder, a huge manhunt began. Blamed each other
Stolen car After the brutal killing the men were paid £1,000 cash. Hope bought a pair of trainers and a laptop computer with the money.
The killers' stolen Volvo car used in the crime was later found abandoned.
Traces of Aamir's blood were found in the car's footwell, as were Hope's fingerprints and Richards' DNA.
After the brutal killing the men were paid £1,000 cash, before it was revealed they had murdered the wrong person.
Hope bought a pair of trainers and a laptop computer with the money he was paid.
Detectives pieced together the movements of both men before and after the killing by using the city's CCTV network and mobile phone evidence was also gathered.Detectives pieced together the movements of both men before and after the killing by using the city's CCTV network and mobile phone evidence was also gathered.
Both men were arrested within days and immediately blamed each other for the killing. Both men were arrested within days and immediately blamed each other for the killing. Hope told police he would not "take the rap" for something he did not do and drug addict Richards denied the killing.
Hope told police he would not "take the rap" for something he did not do and drug addict Richards denied the killing.
Aamir's hopes of reading law at Cardiff University and then possibly pursuing a career in either the police or civil service ended in the most brutal fashion.Aamir's hopes of reading law at Cardiff University and then possibly pursuing a career in either the police or civil service ended in the most brutal fashion.
His parents have three daughters and Aamir was their only son - a boy they called a gift and a blessing who was born after 17 years of marriage. His parents have three daughters and Aamir was their only son - a boy they called a gift and a blessing born after 17 years of marriage.
"This scene I will live with all of my life," Mrs Ahmad later told police."This scene I will live with all of my life," Mrs Ahmad later told police.
Mr Ahmad said life had "lost its purpose", after Aamir, his youngest child's murder. His wife said: "Nothing is valuable now."Mr Ahmad said life had "lost its purpose", after Aamir, his youngest child's murder. His wife said: "Nothing is valuable now."