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| Aamir Siddiqi murder: killers jailed for stabbing teenager by mistake | Aamir Siddiqi murder: killers jailed for stabbing teenager by mistake |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Two hitmen who stabbed an innocent schoolboy to death by mistake have been told they will spend at least 40 years each in prison before being eligible for parole. | Two hitmen who stabbed an innocent schoolboy to death by mistake have been told they will spend at least 40 years each in prison before being eligible for parole. |
| Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, from Cardiff, were each paid £1,000 in "blood money" to murder a middle-aged family man who had fallen out with a local businessman over a property deal. | Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, from Cardiff, were each paid £1,000 in "blood money" to murder a middle-aged family man who had fallen out with a local businessman over a property deal. |
| But the balaclava-clad killers, who had taken heroin, went to the wrong address in the Welsh capital and murdered 17-year-old Aamir Siddiqi, a talented student who had been planning to go to law school. | |
| His parents, Iqbal and Parveen Siddiqi, fought to save their son but were also knifed by the killers during the attack in April 2010. | His parents, Iqbal and Parveen Siddiqi, fought to save their son but were also knifed by the killers during the attack in April 2010. |
| Hope and Richards – who had long histories of violence – both protested their innocence during their four-and-a-half-month trial at Swansea crown court. | Hope and Richards – who had long histories of violence – both protested their innocence during their four-and-a-half-month trial at Swansea crown court. |
| But a jury unanimously found the pair guilty of Aamir's murder as well as the attempted murder of his parents. | But a jury unanimously found the pair guilty of Aamir's murder as well as the attempted murder of his parents. |
| The prosecution asked the judge, Mr Justice Royce, to set a minimum term of at least 30 years. The judge said he had no choice but to "significantly increase" that term and said the pair might never be released. | The prosecution asked the judge, Mr Justice Royce, to set a minimum term of at least 30 years. The judge said he had no choice but to "significantly increase" that term and said the pair might never be released. |
| During their trial, the court heard Hope and Richards had been paid by a businessman angry over a collapsed property deal to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street. The businessman cannot be named for legal reasons. But they went instead to a similar-looking red-brick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the Cardiff suburb of Roath. | During their trial, the court heard Hope and Richards had been paid by a businessman angry over a collapsed property deal to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street. The businessman cannot be named for legal reasons. But they went instead to a similar-looking red-brick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the Cardiff suburb of Roath. |
| Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam, who was due to give him a Qur'an lesson. Instead, he opened the front door to two masked killers. Howling, Hope and Richards brandished daggers over their heads and set upon the helpless A-level student. | Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam, who was due to give him a Qur'an lesson. Instead, he opened the front door to two masked killers. Howling, Hope and Richards brandished daggers over their heads and set upon the helpless A-level student. |
| The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house, but they chased him and repeatedly lashed out. | The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house, but they chased him and repeatedly lashed out. |
| 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's DNA. | 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's DNA. |
| Following the jury's verdict, Aamir's sister Umbareen Siddiqi, 33, paid tribute to her murdered brother. Speaking on the courthouse steps, she said: "Aamir was a beautiful person with a bright future. If he was still with us he would be looking forward to turning 21 this year and completing his law degree. | Following the jury's verdict, Aamir's sister Umbareen Siddiqi, 33, paid tribute to her murdered brother. Speaking on the courthouse steps, she said: "Aamir was a beautiful person with a bright future. If he was still with us he would be looking forward to turning 21 this year and completing his law degree. |
| "He was the heartbeat of our family but his warmth, love, affection and humour touched many more people. | "He was the heartbeat of our family but his warmth, love, affection and humour touched many more people. |
| "We are pleased that justice has finally been done and we can finally start to deal with the reality of losing Aamir." | "We are pleased that justice has finally been done and we can finally start to deal with the reality of losing Aamir." |