1-27-2007 Canada
THE victim of a so-called honour killing was under investigation for alleged sex offences it has been revealed after a murder trial.
Taxi boss Mohammed Shaheen was blasted to death by his brother-in-law at his business premises in Chorlton, Manchester.
Police believe the killing was motivated by anger over sex assaults on women dating back nine years 42-year-old Mr Shaheen is alleged to have carried out.
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Police were investigating the sex allegations at the time of the killing but after murderer Khyber Khan was jailed for at least 30 years the enquiry has been closed.
Khyber, aged 28, travelled from his home in Pakistan to Manchester in September 2005 after it was alleged that Mr Shaheen had been behaving "alarmingly" and had made death threats to the parents of one alleged victim.
Khan was only in the country four days but managed to arm himself with a shotgun.
On the day of the murder he phoned Mr Shaheen's business, Olympic Taxis on Keppel Road, Chorlton asking for him.
When he eventually was connected to Mr Shaheen, a worker at the premises heard the soon-to-be victim say he "did not want to know" the would-be killer.
Shortly after that exchange Khan walked into the premises and without a word blasted Mr Shaheen in the chest with a single barrel shotgun in front of staff.
A Manchester court heard that police, paramedics and taxi drivers rushed to the scene to help the stricken victim who was taken to hospital but was found dead on arrival.
Four hours after the killing Khan's sister, Nasreen Khan, 26, drove him to Manchester airport and gave him money for a ticket to Lahore.
The mother-of-two, from Cornbrook Park Road, Old Trafford, was later arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice. She denied the charge but was found guilty and jailed for two years.
Her sister, Parveen Khan, faced the same charge but the jury were unable to reach a verdict and she was freed.
Through the investigation and trial the killer Khyber Khan insisted he was innocent. He claimed he had been falsely identified by witnesses of the shooting.
Manchester police knew the identity of the killer from the start of the investigation. Through international police contacts they were able to track Khan's movements as he embarked on a world tour to evade arrest. From Pakistan he travelled to Kabul in Afghanistan, then to Abu Dhabi before attempting to gain entry to Canada.
There immigration officers became suspicious and he was deported to the UK. Manchester detectives were waiting to arrest him when he got of a plane at Heathrow airport.
Trial judge Anthony Gee said: "Our civilised society cannot for one moment contemplate so-called honour killings nor anyone who takes the law into their own hands. Those who do so may expect no mercy."
He jailed Khan for life and ordered that he serve at least 30 years before he can be considered for release.
He commended the police officers who worked on this case for their thoroughness and sensitivity.
Detective Sergeant Sam Pickering who lead the investigation into the killing said: "This has been a long and complex investigation and I am pleased that Khan has been brought to justice.
"Mohammed Iqbal Shaheen leaves a wife and son who have been devastated by their loss and this incident is made even more tragic by the fact that the man responsible for her husband's death is her own brother.
"I hope today's result will go some way to helping his family and friends to begin to come to terms with what has happened and start to rebuild their lives." ..more.. by Joanne Payton
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