Pair jailed for 60 years for the brutal murder of a pensioner in Accrington
Mohammed Yousaf was bludgeoned to death in his sleep
Two people have been jailed for a total of 60 years following the brutal murder of a pensioner in Accrington.
Muhammed Arif, who's 45, and 38 year old Rukhsana Bibi, have both been sentenced today (Monday) at Preston Crown Court.
Mohammed Yousaf is believed to have been murdered on September 18th 2016 at his home on Granville Road, although his body was not discovered until 3 days later.
The 65 year old had suffered catastrophic head injuries and a slashed throat, while he was asleep in bed.
His death followed months of planning by Arif and Bibi. They drained more than £24,000 from Mr Yousaf's bank account - after he was persuaded to marry Bibi.
Then the pair took out a fraudulent life insurance policy in Mr Yousaf’s name - he was out of the country when he supposedly activated the policy at a bank in Accrington - which would benefit Bibi to the tune of £244,000 when he died.
Mr Yousaf was also persuaded to draw up a will leaving everything he owned to Bibi.
On the evening of September 18th CCTV from a nearby pub shows Arif’s Volkswagen Passat driving to and from Granville Road three times between 4.54pm and 10.15pm. It's believed that's when the murder was carried out.
Mr Yousaf’s body was found three days later by his landlord. He had suffered more than a dozen blows to the head and a slash wound to his throat.
A murder investigation was launched and, although no murder weapons have ever been found, enquiries quickly led officers to Arif and Bibi.
Both Bibi and Arif had denied the charges but were found guilty following a trial.
Arif was sentenced to 32 years for murder and Bibi was sentenced to 28 years for murder.
Following the verdicts DCI Joanne McHugh, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “This murder was ruthlessly planned by Arif and Bibi, who manipulated a vulnerable and gentle member of the community, before taking everything they possibly could from him for their own financial gain.
“Mohammed Yousaf’s death is nothing short of the cold-blooded assassination of a wholly innocent man.
“While it may have been Arif who carried out the actual killing, there can be no doubt that Bibi was just as involved in the planning and is as culpable as he is.
“Our thoughts at this time remain with the family and friends of Mr Yousaf and I hope eventually they will be able to take some comfort from the sentences handed down today.