Cabbie 'killed wife's lover in ferocious hammer attack' - court (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Cabbie 'killed wife's lover in ferocious hammer attack' - court

8:10am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Jenny Loweth

A Bradford minicab driver murdered his wife’s lover and the man’s friend after discovering his wife was having an affair, a jury has heard.

Mohammed Zubair fled to Pakistan after using a hammer to kill the two men at his home in Heath Terrace, Barkerend, and then dumped their bodies in a secluded country lane, it is alleged.

On trial at Bradford Crown Court, accused of using a dumb-bell bar in the fatal attack, is Sabir Hussain, 40, of Wenslydale Road, Thornbury, Bradford.

Hussain, who worked with Zubair at Tyersal Private Hire, pleads not guilty to murdering Ahmedin Khyel and Imran Khan on May 10 last year.

Also in the dock is Mohammed Iqbal Mazar, 29, of Athol Road, Heaton, Bradford, who denies perverting the course of justice by assisting in the removal of bloodstains and bloodstained items from the house in Heath Terrace.

Tahir Khan QC, for the Crown, told the jury yesterday, Zubair was “the prime suspect” for the murders of Mr Khyel, 35, a London electrician, who was having an affair with Zubair’s wife Kainat Bibi, and Mr Khan, 27, a builder’s labourer, of Gloucester Avenue, Bradford.

Zubair’s mother, Arab Sultana, had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by booking and paying for her son’s plane ticket to Islamabad, he said.

Bibi had also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by lying to the police about where her husband was after the murders.

Mr Khan told the jury the motive for the murders was Mr Khyel’s affair with Bibi. When he and Mr Khan visited his lover’s home, they were brutally attacked with weapons and killed.

The bodies were taken in Zubair’s Volkswagen Transporter minicab and dumped in New Lane, near Tong village, Mr Khan said.

Post-mortem examinations showed that both men died from severe head injuries. Fragments of skull had been driven into the brains of both victims.

Mr Khyel had been struck at least six blows to the head and Mr Khan had suffered a fractured jaw and larynx.

The court was told that “significant efforts” had been made to remove blood stains from the front living room in Heath Terrace.

Mr Khan said: “The ferocity of the violence that was inflicted on the victims was such that the blood staining projected around the walls and on to the ceiling,” Mr Khan said.

He told the jury Mr Khyel loved Bibi and referred to her affectionately as “Kenny”.

He confided to a friend that they had sex at her house when her husband or mother were out.

“These two lovers were clearly playing a dangerous game, running the risk that their affair would be discovered,” said Mr Khan.

On May 10, Mr Khyel drove to Bradford intent on seeing Bibi.

Zubair, who weighed 18 stone and was “respected for his power”, armed himself with a hammer, it is alleged.

Hussain told the police Zubair was “angry, uncontrollable and wild” striking many blows.

He said he pushed Mr Khyel down with the dumb-bell bar but never intended to involve himself in the violence.

Mazar told the police Zubair’s house smelled of blood when he went there at 6am on May 11. He helped him put the sofa into his vehicle.

He said Zubair told him the blood was from a dog fight.

The trial continues.