Burnley doctor and daughter 'alive when murder accused left home'

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

A man accused of murdering a doctor and her daughter has told a jury both were alive when he left their home the night before their bodies were discovered.

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

The prosecution say Shahbaz Khan killed Dr Sacharvi and Miss Mangrio before he set a number of fires at the house.

Preston Crown Court heard Mr Khan, 51, denies murdering the pair and arson.

The married father-of-four told the court that he had to break up a fight between the pair while he was working as a handyman at the house on 30 September.

Giving evidence, he said he was in the kitchen when Miss Mangrio returned from school at 15:25 BST and heard arguing.

"I saw Dr Sacharvi pulling her hair and Vian kicking her mother," he said.

"I went in between them to split them out. I said 'calm down'."

Shahbaz Khan was captured on CCTV at the house the day before the bodies were found

Mr Khan said he did not know what the row was about but said the pair had also argued the day before when he dropped off some tools and he saw writing on walls as he entered.

He said Dr Sacharvi told him her daughter was responsible for the writing which the court has heard included "Covid 19 house my mum is evil", "Covid home" and "Help me".

Days earlier Miss Mangrio had been self-isolating, along with her mother, as she awaited a coronavirus test result, which proved negative.

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Mr Khan, of Ribble Avenue in Burnley, later told the court that no-one else was in the house when he felt a non-human presence named Robert.

At the time he thought Robert was a jinn, a supernatural spirit, he said.

Mr Khan said he also felt the presence of another jinn, Rita, and "my jinn as well, he is called Tony".

He said he had discussed the jinns with Dr Sarcharvi, and also his mental health issues.

Mr Khan told the court Dr Sacharvi had given him pills on a number of occasions at her home but he did not know what the medication was.

He said he left the address at about 21:54.

Floral tributes were left outside the family home

Mr Khan told jurors he had carried out various building work at the doctor's home in Colne Road, and at her previous address in the town, and had become "like a family friend".

The court has heard police found jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds belonging to Dr Sacharvi in a loft at the home of Mr Khan which they searched after he was arrested days later.

Mr Khan told the jury he was looking after the jewellery at the doctor's request for "security purposes" and had done so on previous occasions when she was away on holiday.

Mr Khan's wife Rabia Shahbaz, 45, also of Ribble Avenue, denies perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.