A MAN has been found guilty of murdering his niece and dumping her body in Bradford.

Mohammed Taroos Khan, 53, of Thornbury Road, Bradford, has been convicted of unlawfully killing Somaiya Begum after her body was found dumped on wasteland off Fitzwilliam Street, on the outskirts of the city centre, on July 6 last year.

She was discovered with an 11cm-long 'Bradawl' tool - a sharpened metal woodwork implement - stuck in the right side of her chest.

He had denied murdering Miss Begum, who was aged 20, of Binnie Street, Barkerend, Bradford on, or around June 25, 2022, but has admitted to disposing of her body.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The police scene in Fitzwilliam Street The police scene in Fitzwilliam Street (Image: Newsquest)

Khan will now be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court tomorrow (Wednesday) after the jury’s deliberations had entered a third day and almost nine-and-a-half hours.

Trial judge, The Honourable Justice Neil Garnham, told the jury at 2pm today (Tuesday) that he would accept a majority verdict, which at least 10 of the jurors could agree upon, after they had been deliberating for almost nine hours over the course of three days.

The jury returned with a unanaimous verdict at just before 2.50pm today. A woman sitting in the public gallery could be heard crying when the verdict was reached in court.  

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors told jurors they may hear the murder explained in terms of an “inappropriately named honour killing”.

But Jason Pitter KC added: “Whatever it was… it was not honourable."

Mr Pitter said Ms Begum’s uncle, Mohammed Taroos Khan killed her at her home in Binnie Street, Barkerend, Bradford, on June 25 last year.

He said: “She had met a traumatic death following a violent attack at her home, the nature of which was demonstrated by the metal spike which was embedded in her.”

Mr Pitter said Khan “bundled up” his niece’s body and it was “dumped and left to rot and decompose on wasteland like rubbish, such that she was not recognisable”.