Tyre firm boss watched on as student gunned down in bungled hit in Blackburn, court hears
Aya Hachem was shot as she walked along King Street last May
Last updated 21st May 2021
A businessman who arranged the execution of his arch-enemy in broad daylight watched on as an innocent law student was instead fatally gunned down, a court has heard.
Aya Hachem, 19, was said to be "in the wrong place at the wrong time'' in a drive-by shooting allegedly set up by Feroz Suleman with the boss of a rival tyre firm the intended target.
The long-running feud culminated in the murder of passer-by Miss Hachem in King Street in Blackburn, Lancashire, on the afternoon of May 17 last year, say the Crown.
Eight defendants including Suleman, 40, are on trial accused of the murder of Miss Hachem and the attempted murder of Pachah Khan, the proprietor of Quickshine Tyres.
On Friday, jurors at Preston Crown Court were shown CCTV footage surrounding the moment of dreadful, tragic bad luck'' when the Lebanese-born student was shot dead.
Prosecutor Nicholas Johnson QC said shortly before Miss Hachem walked past Quickshine Tyres two teenage boys rode along the pavement on their bicycles.
He said: "If she had not stopped to let them lads come past she would never have been killed.''
A Toyota Avensis driven by Anthony Ennis, 31, with alleged hitman Zamir Raja, 33, on board drove past Quickshine Tyres on three occasions shortly before the fatal fourth journey, the court heard.
Footage from CCTV cameras captured Suleman stood outside his premises next door at RI Tyres with a "ringside seat'' to the shooting he had arranged, said the prosecution.
The first shot hit the front window of Quickshine and the second was let off as Miss Hachem walked by.
Mr Johnson said: "The bullet, rather than hitting its intended target, hit her.
"Pachah Khan immediately jumped over the railings to help - in marked contrast to the man who organised it. He did not dial 999, Pachah Khan did.''
The prosecutor said Mr Khan told the operator that shots were fired at him from a silver Avensis and a young woman had been hit.
The vehicle made off and Judy Chapman, 26, and boyfriend Uthman Satia, 29, were waiting to transport the Manchester assassins away from the scene at a car park in nearby Wellington Road, said Mr Johnson.
Earlier before the shooting, Kashif Manzoor, 26, say the Crown, made sure the Avensis was ready for the assassins as he jump-started the vehicle bought for just #300 by Uthman Satia's brother, Abubakr Satia, 32, a week earlier.
Ayaz Hussain, 35, described as Suleman's "right-hand man'', was said to have acted as an intermediary with alleged gunman Raja.
Mr Johnson said all eight accused played an "important and significant part''.
Suleman, of, Blackburn; Raja, of Stretford, Greater Manchester; Ennis, of Partington, Greater Manchester; Manzoor, of, Blackburn; Hussain, of Blackburn; Abubakr Satia, of Blackburn; Uthman Satia, of Great Harwood; and Chapman, of Great Harwood, all deny murder.
The defendants have also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Khan.
The trial is estimated to last up to 10 weeks.