SHABAZ KHAN FROM BURNLEY SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF MOTHER AND DAUGHTER IN REEDLEY
In a chilling case that shocked the community of Burnley and the surrounding Reedley area, Shahbaz Khan, aged 52, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the heinous murders of a mother and her teenage daughter.The tragic events unfolded at their residence on Colne Road, where the victims, Dr.
Saman Mir Sacharvi, aged 49, and her 14-year-old daughter Vian Mangrio, were brutally killed on September 30th, 2020.
Shahbaz Khan, a resident of Ribble Avenue in Burnley, appeared before Preston Crown Court in June this year, where he pleaded guilty to the charges of murder and arson.
Initially denying any involvement, Khan changed his plea midway through the trial, admitting to the killing of both women and to setting their bodies ablaze afterward.
His actions were described as reckless, especially considering the danger posed by the fires he ignited.
In a related case, Rabia Shahbaz, aged 45, also of Ribble Avenue, was tried concurrently.
She was found guilty in July of attempting to pervert the course of justice by providing false alibis for her husband on the day of the murders.
Her attempts to mislead investigators were part of a broader effort to conceal Shahbaz Khan’s involvement.
On Tuesday, October 5th, Shahbaz Khan was formally sentenced at Preston Crown Court.
The judge handed down a life sentence with a minimum term of 34 years before eligibility for parole.
Rabia Shahbaz received a prison sentence of 30 months for her role in obstructing justice.
The tragic discovery of the victims’ bodies occurred on the morning of October 1st, 2020, when police responded to concerns raised about the welfare of Saman and Vian.
Upon entering the residence, officers found Vian’s body badly burned in a downstairs room.
Saman’s body was located upstairs, where efforts to set her body on fire had failed to ignite the flames fully.
The post-mortem examinations revealed that Saman died from pressure applied to her neck, likely strangulation with a ligature.
Vian’s death was attributed to asphyxiation, with evidence suggesting she was also drugged and suffocated, as indicated by bruising inside her throat and a woollen item wrapped around her neck and in her mouth.
Both women had Diazepam, commonly known as Valium, in their systems, indicating they had been sedated prior to their deaths.
The investigation that followed was extensive, involving analysis of CCTV footage, telephone records, witness statements, and other evidence.
Authorities established that Shahbaz Khan was responsible for the murders.
CCTV footage showed a figure approaching the victims’ home around 11:50 am on the day of the killings and remaining there until approximately 10 pm.
Initially, Rabia Shahbaz claimed her husband had been at home all day, but this was disproven.
She then stated he was at work at Tesco, which was also proven false.
Eventually, Shahbaz Khan admitted to being the person seen entering and leaving the house on September 30th.
However, he maintained that he did not murder the mother and daughter, claiming they were still alive when he departed.
The prosecution presented evidence that Khan had drugged Saman by mixing Diazepam, rose wine, fruit, and spices into a smoothie, rendering her unable to resist before he killed her.
Vian returned home from school around 3:25 pm that day, was also drugged, and subsequently murdered.
In an attempt to cover his tracks, Khan set fire to both bodies and a kettle in the kitchen, trying to suggest that an electrical fire caused their deaths.
Additionally, he scrawled graffiti on the walls of the house, with messages such as ‘my mum is evil’ and ‘this is a Covid house,’ which the prosecution argued was an effort to imply a falling-out between the victims that might have led to their deaths, possibly even Saman taking her own life.
Police later recovered jewelry belonging to Saman, valued at approximately £27,000, from the loft of Khan and Rabia Shahbaz, further linking them to the crime.
This case has left a lasting impact on the Burnley community, highlighting the tragic consequences of violence and deception within a family setting.
