Burnley mum and daughter murders: Accused told police of spirit attack

Dr Saman Mir Sacharvi and Vian Mangrio's bodies were found at their family home on 1 October

A man accused of murdering a doctor and her daughter claimed he had been attacked by an ancient supernatural spirit at their home, a jury has heard.

Dr Saman Mir Sacharvi, 49, and her daughter Vian Mangrio, 14, were found at their fire-damaged home in Burnley, Lancashire on 1 October 2020.

Preston Crown Court heard Shahbaz Khan, 51, who was captured on CCTV at the house the day before, told police he was possessed by a "jinn" named Robert.

He denies murdering the pair and arson.

Prosecutor David McLachlan QC showed the court footage of Mr Khan, of Ribble Avenue in Burnley, "throwing himself" across his police station cell on to his bed after he was told the room was monitored.

He said the handyman had later explained he had been visited an ancient spirit who held him by his throat and banged his head against the wall.

"He will tell you that Robert was, and is, a jinn," Mr McLachlan said.

"The jinn in Islamic faiths is probably best translated as a supernatural spirit and it was Shahbaz Khan, we suggest, trying to set up his defence to say he had been attacked in his cell by a supernatural spirit.

"The prosecution say nonsense, absolute nonsense."

'Crude attempt'

He said when Mr Khan was interviewed the following day, he made jerking movements and told detectives his name was Robert, he was 620 years old and he lived at Dr Saman's address.

He said the handyman then said whenever he went to the house, he saw Robert and Rita, another spirit, and claimed Dr Saman told him Robert had broken a mirror because he was angry an extension Mr Khan had built was in "his area".

He added that a later interview, Mr Khan said when he left the house, Miss Mangrio was upstairs and Dr Saman was in the kitchen, chatting to Rita and Robert.

The court has previously been told the handyman tried to shift the blame for the deaths on to Miss Mangrio.

Shahbaz Khan told detectives the spirit was 620 years old and called Robert

Mr McLachlan said there had been "a crude attempt to deflect blame from himself on to Vian Mangrio".

"Both deaths... were down to the man in the dock - and they were not killed by supernatural spirits either," he said.

"Was it real in his head that he threw himself across his cell to his bed or was it a feeble attempt to pretend there was something wrong with his mental state?

"He appears to blame the jinns. He to appears to blame Vian Mangrio. He tried his best to get away from the blame."

Mr Khan denies two counts of murder and one count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, while his wife, Rabia Shahbaz, 45, also of Ribble Avenue, denies doing an act intended to pervert the course of public justice.

The trial continues.