Rahan Arshad

Case record: Rahan Arshad

Background

Rahan Arshad (born 1970) was a taxi driver. He lived at Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester.

Uzma Rahan was his wife. Uzma was 32. The couple had three children: Adam (11), Abbas (eight), and Henna (six).

During his trial, the jury was told Arshad may have been motivated by jealousy after discovering his wife was having an affair. Arshad denied four counts of murder but was convicted by a jury at Manchester Crown Court.

Arshad’s profile was described as a person who claimed he was “the worm that turned” but was characterised as a calculating, cold-blooded murderer.

The offence

Rahan Arshad beat his family to death with a rounders bat at their home in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester.

Uzma Rahan and their three children were found dead in their home. Police needed dental records to confirm their identities because the bodies were so badly decomposed.

The jury heard that Arshad battered Uzma with more than 23 blows in their bedroom before beating his children to death in their playroom. Post-mortem examinations later revealed that all four victims died of severe head injuries.

The court heard that Arshad planned the murders in advance: he bought the rounders bat the day before and booked his ticket to Thailand more than two weeks earlier. He told his family he was taking them on holiday to Dubai, and family, friends and neighbours assumed Uzma and her children were on holiday when they were lying dead in the house.

Investigation

Police found the decomposed bodies on 20 August 2006. The bodies had lain undiscovered for up to four weeks.

Police tracked Arshad down in Thailand. After detectives tracked him down, he confessed to their murders moments after he was flown back to the UK.

When arrested, he told officers: “I confess to the murder. My beautiful kids, I don't regret killing that bitch, but my kids, killing my kids...” He later refused to answer police questions, claiming his wife had beaten the children to death and he had killed her.

Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley, who led the investigation, said: “This is one of the most brutal and devastating murders I have ever dealt with. Many of us have children, which makes the brutality he used to kill his own children even harder to comprehend. The only time he has ever shown any remorse for what he did was when he first got off the plane from Thailand. We will probably never know why Arshad committed this awful crime, unless he chooses to tell us.”

During a police conference, Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley also said: “As you know we are investigating the murders of Uzma Rahan and her three children Adam, Abbas and Henna, whose bodies were discovered on Sunday 20th August. Since Monday 21st August we have been liaising with law enforcement authorities in Thailand following the discovery of a silver BMW car at Heathrow Airport that day. As a result of those enquiries Rahan Arshad was questioned by Thai authorities at the Thai / Malaysian border, re-entering Thailand, early on Wednesday morning, UK time. At 7pm last night, Mr Arshad voluntarily boarded a Thai Airlines flight in Bangkok to return to the UK in order to assist us with our enquiries. He landed at Heathrow Airport this morning. On leaving the plane, he was arrested on suspicion of the four murders and will be brought to Manchester later today, where he will be interviewed in relation to these offences. Uzma's family has been kept fully aware of these developments and a further press release will be made at the appropriate time.”

Police issued an appeal to the Asian community for information on a man wanted over the murder of his wife and three children. Detectives believed he boarded a plane at Heathrow Airport for Bangkok on Saturday 29 July, from Terminal 3.

Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley said: “We are liaising with colleagues in Thailand via Interpol to help us trace his onward movements. Of course he could be anywhere in the world by now. I would ask anyone who has seen him or been in contact with him since 29 July to contact the incident room or any police officer immediately.”

Police also wanted to speak with anyone who called at the house or phoned the family between 28 July and 21 August.

Arrest

Rahan Arshad was arrested when he stepped off a flight from Thailand at about 7am at London’s Heathrow Airport. He was brought from London to Manchester for questioning.

Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley said he voluntarily boarded a Thai Airlines flight in Bangkok to return to the UK to assist enquiries, and that he landed at Heathrow Airport that morning. On leaving the plane, he was arrested on suspicion of the four murders and was to be brought to Manchester later that day for interview.

His BMW 320 car was found abandoned at Heathrow the day after the bodies were discovered.

Two people, a husband and wife from Burnage, were arrested on suspicion of murder and then released on police bail.

Trial

Arshad was convicted of murdering his wife and three children. He was found guilty by a jury at Manchester Crown Court.

Mr Justice David Clarke sentenced Arshad to life imprisonment and said that in this case, life “meant life”.

Mr Justice David Clarke said: “You killed your entire family in circumstances of great brutality, You beat your wife to death in her bedroom and then coldly and deliberately you brought your sleepy children downstairs to meet their deaths. There is no suggestion of mental illness on your part. Life imprisonment in your case means life.”

Arshad told the jury how it was an arranged marriage of first cousins that they had never met, although he said they “knew of each other” through the family.

During trial, Arshad described his wife Uzma to the jury in the following terms: “I adored her, she was beautiful,”.

He denied he physically abused his wife and even claimed she had hit him.

The jury heard that Arshad had planned the murders in advance, buying the rounders bat the day before and booking his ticket to Thailand more than two weeks earlier.

Sentencing

On 13 March 2007, Arshad was jailed for life for the murders of his wife and three children.

Uzma’s mother and two brothers were in the public gallery beside friends and other relatives as the verdicts came in. Her brother, Rahat Ali, shouted “Yes” as the jury convicted Arshad.

After the hearing, Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley read a statement on behalf of Uzma’s brother, Rahat Ali, and the rest of her family. The statement said: “No one can heal the grief we have suffered. Uzma was my best friend, our beloved sister and beautiful daughter. My mother can't understand how he could destroy them. This should be a peaceful time for my mum but instead she's been forced to suffer an unthinkable ordeal. I am glad this man will never get out of prison. The judge made a brilliant decision. A person like this should never be freed.”

Appeals

No appeals were stated.

Outcome

Rahan Arshad was convicted of murdering his wife and his three children and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Aftermath

In a statement read at court, Uzma’s family said they lost Uzma as “a loving, caring and devoted mother” and described the children as “gorgeous, intelligent and well-mannered”.

Uzma’s death and the murders were described by local people as a devastation and sadness.

Neighbours described the family’s children as “three more beautiful kids in your life, especially Henna. She was gorgeous. And both parents were friendly enough.” They said Uzma and the children used to come over with food for them “curry and rice mainly”.

Hassan Irsha, whose age was eight, said: “We played together, he was very kind. We were friends.”

Hassan’s mother, Rafat, said: “Hassan was very upset when he heard the news. What has happened is horrible.”

Suzannah Reeves, chair of governors at Cavendish Road, said: “This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the children's family and friends. They were lovely children who were well-liked during their two years at Cavendish and they had many friends in the school. Their tragic death is a shock to staff who enjoyed teaching them and to the whole school community.”

Assistant head teacher Julie Warren said: “Uzma was a valued and respected member of staff. She was very popular with staff and pupils. Her dedication to all aspects of school life was a real credit to her personality. We are all deeply upset by the news and she will be sadly missed.”

Shelley Latham described herself as Arshad’s “best friend” and said: “I don't believe for a minute he would hurt his kids - he idolised them,” she added. “I spoke to him a few weeks ago when he had just come back from Spain. He said he was going to take the kids to Blackpool because they'd never been there before and they wanted to go on the rides and the donkeys. When I saw the papers I couldn't speak, I was absolutely gobsmacked. No way would he touch those kids. He was very, very quiet; a very private man.”

Shelley Latham also said: “He was trying to patch things up with his wife. He loved her to bits. He had always had feelings for her.”

Azar Iqbal, who worked for Manchester Car Audio on Stockport Road in Levenshulme, said he had done work on Arshad’s BMW “two months before he disappeared”. He said: “I have known him for a number of years and I have done quite a bit of work for him, including tinting the windows of one of his cars. I have also met him at weddings and other occasions. He used to drive a black Honda Civic and I think he bought the BMW for his wife. He worked for Tripps Taxis in Didsbury and used to drive an M-reg white Toyota Corolla for them.”

Neighbours said Uzma and the children had lived for a short time at a sheltered home in Cheadle Hulme. They claimed she had told them that around £75,000 had been wiped from her account while she was at her father’s funeral in Pakistan about 12 months earlier.

One neighbour said: “The poor woman didn't have any money - that's why she ended up in sheltered accommodation.”

Other details

Arshad’s brother, Razwan Arshad, pleaded with him to hand himself in for the sake of his family. Razwan Arshad said: “Rahan, it's absolutely paramount that you come forward now to assist the police with their inquiries. If not for yourself, for your father, sisters and me. You should know how much we all love you and you should not feel as though you are alone, so please contact the police.”

Detectives admitted they did not know if Arshad had flown on to another country.

Police asked anyone who had seen anything suspicious at the house or had further information on Arshad’s whereabouts to contact the major incident room on 0161 856 7834 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Arshad was described as a devoted father by friends and neighbours.

The dead children were pupils at Cavendish Road primary school in West Didsbury, and previously attended Acacias primary in Burnage, both Manchester.

Uzma worked as a dinner lady at Lancasterian School in West Didsbury.

Arshad told the jury he had an affair suspicion after his wife’s mobile phone went on shopping trips in the car and she told the caller: “I can’t speak right now I’m with my husband.” Uzma insisted she was dealing with clients and worked as a part-time beautician.

Arshad said he needed a baby-sitter for the youngest, Henna, for 90 minutes each day. He said Uzma eventually got in touch with a neighbour, Musarat Iqbal, who would look after Henna.

Arshad said Uzma started an affair with Musarat’s husband Nikki.

Arshad said that when Uzma left her family and went to Pakistan in February, 2004 to grieve the death of her father, he wanted to “teach her a lesson” and sold the Burnage Lane house for £90,000.

Arshad said he travelled out to Lahore where Uzma was staying with her mother, dumped the kids, and then filed fake divorce papers with a judge and went travelling.

Arshad said there were even claims he married another woman in Pakistan, and he denied this in court. He called it: “a big massive mistake”.

When Arshad returned from his travels he said he wanted a reconciliation. After the intervention of his brother-in-law Rahat Ali, he agreed to buy the house in Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme, and put the property in both names, although he said he lived there on his own for a while because of his unconvinced wife.

Arshad said he was unaware that his wife had kept her council house in the meanwhile and suspected she was doing so to meet Nikki.

Arshad said he bought a £30,000 BMW 320, telling his wife it was an early birthday present. Arshad said he had bought the car on HP, paid just one instalment, and insured only in his own name. He also said he bought a computer for the kids and bought bangles and gold jewellery for his wife. He also said he re-decorated the house with new fitted wardrobes, carpets, and a new banister.

Arshad’s spending spree failed to convince Uzma there was hope for their marriage. The jury was told that Uzma was ambivalent and told friends “Count the days until he kills me,”.

Arshad said: “It wasn’t right for a mother and someone who came from Pakistan to change the way she dressed all of a sudden. It wasn’t right at all,”

In the case narrative, it was also said Arshad claimed he was “the worm that turned – in fact he was a calculating, cold-blooded murderer.” It also included the quote: “I adored her, she was beautiful,” as how Arshad described wife Uzma to the jury.