"I should treat this as any form of so-called honour killing.”
Mohammad Taroos Khan, aged 53, of Bradford, received a life sentence for the murder of his niece after she refused a forced marriage.
On June 25, 2022, Khan attacked 20-year-old Somaiya Begum at her home Binnie Street.
Eleven days later, her body was discovered wrapped in a rug on wasteland near Fitzwilliam Street.
Somaiya was living with her grandmother and another uncle under the terms of a Forced Marriage Protection Order.
This was due to attempts by her father to force her to marry a cousin from Pakistan “by threat of violence”.
Khan killed his niece despite being prohibited from entering the home after a restraining order was issued after he threatened his daughter with a knife.
His mother, daughter and Somaiya’s home address were all included in the scope of the restraining order.
When the forced marriage attempt happened, Somaiya informed Bradford authorities of the harmful predicament.
According to Judge Garnham, it was hard to ascertain whether the attack on Somaiya was a component of a broader familial agreement because there was no obvious purpose for it.
At Bradford Crown Court, he stated:
“All that matters for present purposes is that the jury has found you guilty of the heinous crime of murder.
“I decline to speculate on your motive and I reject the prosecution’s suggestion that I should treat this as any form of so-called honour killing.”
Judge Garnham reprimanded Khan for improperly disposing of Somaiya’s body, which was viewed as one of the major aggravating circumstances that led to the extension of Khan’s initial 15-year sentence.
While looking for a place to dispose of Somaiya’s body, Khan had stored it overnight in a shipping container.
Khan, who was convicted of murder on March 14, 2023, was informed by the judge that he would be an elderly man before being eligible for parole.
He was jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 20 years. In addition to his sentence, Khan received a five-year sentence for tampering with the process of justice too.
After the sentencing, the killer sought to speak to the judge but was told he was unable to.
In the wake of the tragic murder of Somaiya Begum, Aneeta Prem, founder of honour-based violence charity Freedom shared her condolences.
She said:
“It is incredibly tragic, and it’s a murder that should have been avoided.”
Ms Prem said that Somaiya’s passing brought up important issues about the assistance provided to individuals, primarily young women, whose families try to coerce them into marriage.
She continued: “The authorities knew that she was in danger because there was a forced marriage protection order – there to do just that, protect her.
“It failed, and there are so many lessons to be learned.”
Loading ...