AN UNCLE of wife killer Danish Irfan appeared in court yesterday, accused of helping him to escape the country after the murder.

Nouman Qureshi, 32, made his first appearance before Bradford and Keighley magistrates, alongside two co-accused.

Qureshi, of Kashmir Park, Halifax, is jointly charged with Muhammed Qureshi, 38, of Pembroke Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire; and 34-year-old Faisal Chaudhary, of Grantham Road, Ilford, Essex; with committing an act, or acts, intending to pervert the course of justice.

The charge alleges that between Saturday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 6, 2013, at various locations in the UK, the three men assisted Danish Irfan to leave the UK, knowing he had murdered his wife.

The case was sent to Bradford Crown Court for a preliminary hearing next month.

Irfan, 22, was sentenced to life imprisonment, and must spend more than 15 years behind bars, after he was convicted of murdering his 21-year-old wife, Ridda Zanab, at their home in Alford Terrace, Lidget Green, Bradford.

Irfan shattered his wife's skull with a claw hammer in a "repeated and ferocious" attack in a fit of jealous rage after discovering she loved another man.

After the murder he fled to Pakistan on a false passport but later returned to the UK to face justice.

Nouman Qureshi, who was dressed in an open-necked pale shirt, grey trousers and black shoes, and walked with a limp, spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth during the ten-minute hearing today.

All three defendants were granted bail until the next hearing on condition that they live and sleep at their home addresses.

Nouman Qureshi's solicitor, Amjid Hussain, asked that his client be bailed to an address in Duchywood, Heaton, Bradford.

But prosecutor Nadine Clough said not enough notice had been given of the address change and it would have to be checked by police.

Miss Clough said it was important, if not crucial, that the police and the courts knew where the defendants were.

The chairman of the Bench, Shasta Asghar, told Nouman Qureshi he would have to live and sleep at the Halifax address because 24 hours notice had not been given to the prosecution.