A man from Bradford has been jailed for life for murdering his niece at her home in Bradford.
Mohammed Taroos Khan, 53 of Thornbury Road, was convicted of Somaiya Begum’s murder at Bradford Crown Court yesterday Tuesday 14 March.
Today, the Judge, the Honourable Justice Neil Garnham sentenced Khan for life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.
The judge told Khan: “you will go to prison for life for murder and perverting the course of justice for five years, to run concurrently. You cannot apply for parole until after 25 years.”
While passing the sentence the judge added that there was ‘no significant mitigation’ and said that Khan would be an ‘old man’ by the time he could apply for parole.
The judge rejected the suggestion that this is an honour killing.
He said: “It is pure speculation if this murder was part of some appalling family agreement. This has been a dreadful attack by you on an innocent woman.”
Somaiya’s body was found dumped on wasteland off Fitzwilliam Street, just over a mile or so from her home in Binnie Street, on 6 July last year, after she was reported missing almost a week ago.
She was discovered with a 10.7cm-long metal spike embedded in her back, which had penetrated her lung, when her body was found. Home Office forensic pathologist Kirsten Hope told the court that strangulation was a possible cause of death. However, Dr Hope was unable to ascertain a cause of death, as the beautiful Leeds Beckett student’s body was extensively decomposed, especially her head and neck.
Khan had denied murdering Somaiya, of Binnie Street, Barkerend, on or around 25 June 2022, but had admitted to disposing of her body.
The court heard detailed accounts of Somaiya’s troubled family life. The twenty-year-old student had been living with her grandmother and one of her other uncles after her parents had been issued with a Forced Marriage Protection Order, which was given following her refusal to marry a cousin in Pakistan when she was 16 years old ‘by threat of violence’.
It was explained to the court that the defendant was also prohibited by court from going to the address where Somaiya was living as he held ‘similar’ hard-line attitudes as his brother (Somaiya’s father, Yasin Khan) towards his daughter Kynath Begum
Mr Jason Pitter KC, prosecuting, said Khan visited the home on Binnie Street three times on 25 June last year, in his Mitsubishi Space Wagon vehicle and had contacted Somaiya by phone.
Khan had cut a key for the property before he turned up at the address at about 3.50 pm, the jury was told.
Mr Pitter said: “At around 3.30 pm, Somaiya Begum sent final messages to her close companion and school friend. Not long after that, her telephone was to cease meaningful use.
“That coincided with the arrival of her uncle, the defendant, Mohammed Taroos Khan at her home address in the minutes afterwards.
“Whilst the prosecution cannot say precisely when Somaiya was killed, you can conclude that something significant had happened around or shortly after that point because there was no apparent further communication between Somaiya and anyone else after that time.”
Mr Pitter said Khan had then gone to Carter Gate Works industrial yard where he had living quarters, before returning to Binnie Street at 5.29 pm.
The prosecutor told the court Khan had made searches online for ‘large, one tonne capacity, rubble bags including at the B&Q store during the intervening period
He said: “The CCTV footage showed him opening a door to a container. He can be seen to be wearing gloves at the time.
“He then reversed his car up to the container entrance; however, the door was positioned in such a way as to obscure what he was doing from the CCTV camera.”
Mr Pitter said Khan was discovered by Somaiya’s uncle, Dawood, at the property at around 6.30 pm after he walked through the home’s ‘normally locked front door’.
The jury was told that it was during this period when Khan was making ‘his plans to finally dispose of her body’.
Ms Begum’s remains were found on the industrial site several days later by police on 6 July, with a post-mortem examination showing signs of ‘trauma and assault.’
Detective Superintendent Marc Bowes, from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, was the Senior Investigating Officer in the Somaiya Begum case.
Det Sup Int Bowes said: “Somaiya was a bright, young woman who was studying to get a degree, had a part-time job to support herself and was happy and content with home life.
“She had her whole life ahead of her and it was cruelly cut short by her uncle, someone who is meant to love, care and protect her.
“Khan subjected Somaiya to a horrendous attack for reasons only known to him.
“Khan went to extreme lengths to cover up his crime, he dumped her body in wasteland showing complete disregard and disrespect for human life, with the hope that her body would never be found.”
He added: “Somaiya will never get the life she was meant to lead; Khan stole that life and he will now be spending a significant time in prison for his violent actions.
“Although this conviction and sentence will never bring Somaiya back, I hope that it gives her friends and family some comfort in knowing they have got justice for her.”
Senior Crown Prosecutor Daniel Lee, from CPS Yorkshire and Humberside’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “Somaiya Begum was a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. Her murder is a tragedy and Khan now faces the consequences for his appalling crimes.
“Working closely with West Yorkshire Police, we were able to present clear and compelling evidence that he was responsible for her death.
“Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of Somaiya Begum. I hope this conviction and sentence brings them some form of justice.
“Women have the right to be safe and feel safe. The CPS is committed to securing justice and will always seek to hold violent offenders to account for their crimes.”
