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.