Woman charged in connection with Aya Hachem murder

Aya Hachem
Author: Grace MarnerPublished 3rd Feb 2022

A woman has been charged by detectives investigating the murder of Aya Hachem in Blackburn.

Zahraa Satia, 26, of Oxford Close, Blackburn is accused of doing an act tending and intended to pervert course of public justice on May 19th 2020.

She was arrested at her home address on Wednesday and charged on the same day. She has been bailed to appear before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on February 24th.

Salford law student Aya was killed on Sunday, May 17th as she walked by Quick Shine Car Wash, King Street and was struck by a stray bullet shot from a passing Toyota Avensis. The bullet went through her body and was embedded in a telegraph pole.

The 19-year-old had been walking to buy food for her family to eat when they broke their Ramadan fast that evening.

Eight people were last year jailed for a total of more than 200 years following a trial for their involvement in the murder of Aya and the attempted murder of Pacha Khan, the intended target of the shooting.

Last week two men were arrested and charged with her murder and the attempted murder of Mr Khan.

Lewis Otway, 41, of Clitheroe Road, Manchester and Suhayl Suleman, 37, of Shear Brow, Blackburn are due to stand trial in October.

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