Mother accused of murder changes her defence case

A mother accused of murdering her teenage daughter has changed her defence case in what a judge described as a “significant development”, a court heard yesterday.

Shafilea Ahmed’s parents, Iftikhar, aged 52, and Farzana, aged 49, of Liverpool Rd, Warrington, have been on trial at Chester Crown Court for the last eight weeks.

They stand accused of murdering the 17-year-old at their Cheshire home in Sept 2003.

Mrs Ahmed has always denied murder, but yes-terday the jury was told she had changed her account.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans said Mrs Ahmed’s barrister had indicated that “Mrs Ahmed’s acc-ount, her defence, has changed”.

He added: “That is a significant development in the case and needs some thought.”

The jurors were told they would be given Mrs Ahmed’s new defence case statement today.

Mr and Mrs Ahmed both deny murder.

Shafilea disappeared in Sept 2003 and her body was found on the bank of the River Kent in Cumbria the following February.

Earlier in the trial, older sister Alesha Ahmed described how their parents pushed Shafilea on to the settee in their house and she heard her mother say, “Just finish it here” in Urdu as they forced a plastic bag into the teenager’s mouth and suffocated her in front of their other children.

Asked about events leading up to the 17-year-old’s disappearance, Alesha told the court about the family’s trip to see relatives in Pakistan in early 2003.

She said the visit had been marked by discussions of marriage proposals for Shafilea and suggestions that the teenager would not be allowed to return home to England.

Alesha also said that, after Iftikhar returned to Britain, Shafilea and their mother, Farzana, argued when the teenager was seen out of the house without wearing a shawl.

The Ahmeds allegedly murdered their “westernised” daughter because they believed her conduct was bringing shame on the family.